Gracious of President Yudhoyono to apologise for haze, says PM Lee

Imelda Saad Channel NewsAsia 25 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE - Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has said it is gracious of Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to apologise to the people of Singapore and Malaysia for the current haze situation.

But he stressed that all parties need to put in place a permanent solution to prevent the problem from recurring annually.

In a statement, Mr Lee said Singapore accepts the apology wholeheartedly.

He added that he welcomes President Yudhoyono's promise to spare no efforts to tackle the serious problem which has caused suffering to the people of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Mr Lee noted that President Yudhoyono had said that Indonesian authorities would investigate the man-made causes of the fires and take the necessary legal action against those responsible.

He said he hoped that Indonesia will also take swift and sustained action to put out the forest fires and stop the illegal land clearing practices.

Mr Lee reiterated Singapore's offer to help Indonesia put out the fires.

"Singapore stands ready to work closely with Indonesia, Malaysia and others in the region to bring to an end the haze-related problems which have plagued our region. We need to put in place a permanent solution to prevent this problem from recurring annually," said Mr Lee.

Speaking at a childcare event on Tuesday, Acting Minister for Social and Family Development Chan Chun Sing also praised President Yudhoyono for his apology.

"I think it's very gracious of him. More importantly, at this point in time, it's important for us to work closely together to make sure that we put out the fires and and to restore life to normalcy as much as possible," he said.

Ministries to share plans on dealing with impact of haze & minimising disruption
Monica Kotwani Channel NewsAsia 24 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE: All ministries will announce their action plans this week on how to deal with the impact of the haze and minimise disruption to daily activities.

Defence Minister Dr Ng Eng Hen, who is leading the Haze Inter-ministerial committee, visited a construction site and Changi Airport on Monday with Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin.

If the haze continues for months, it could affect public transport, as buses and trains slow down to cope with poor visibility.

Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew said: "Land transport (is) very much dependent on staff availability. So far that has not been a problem at all, but if staff availability is impacted as a result of the prolonged haze period, then indeed we may find that the service levels for the trains and even buses could be affected as well, so this is something we are watching very closely."

At an extreme, the haze could also result in construction projects being delayed.

Dr Ng said: “If this happens, when it happens, I need Singaporeans to be understanding, adjust our expectations, and help with the situation. The priority now is therefore to consolidate, work together and come up with haze action plans so that all of us know what to do, what to expect. The key will be to adjust - slow down but don't stop, and we must protect our health, but in addition, prevent mass disruptions as far as possible.”

Dr Ng said there is bound to be some slowdown and disruptions to day-to-day activities, but in the ministries releasing their action plans later this week, the idea is to minimise disruption.

While the government will lead and facilitate the action plans of the ministries, Dr Ng said what is also needed is the support of the tripartite partners such as unions, as well as Singaporeans.

The Manpower Ministry has issued guidelines to companies and employers and released advisories daily, based on the current haze situation.

But as to the concern of whether companies will adhere to these measures, Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin said there cannot be a one-size-fits-all prescription of these measures.

Mr Tan said: "It's not just about the economy, it's not just about making money as some people look at it. It's really about our way of life, to ensure as much normalcy as possible. The message is this: we need to stay calm, we need to adjust. We need to slow down, but we need to carry on. I've (got) a couple of messages for employers. Firstly, employers need to be vigilant, they need to be aware. Secondly, they need to mitigate risks, and thirdly, they need to be flexible."

Mr Tan said this includes knowing the conditions of employees and being flexible in terms of the nature of the jobs involved.

This could be by rotating workers or taking regular breaks.

On its part, the National Trades Union Congress said it is compiling a list of good practices by companies to look out for the welfare of employers.

- CNA/xq

Next step is to minimise daily impact of haze: Ng Eng Hen
Zara Zhuang Today Online 24 Jun 13;

Cars and buses may move more slowly, vehicle accidents may rise and cleaners may work more slowly with masks on, said Dr Ng. The key, he said, is to adjust and slow down, but not to stop.

Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew and Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan Jin were also present, and outlined their ministries’ haze contingency plans. Other ministries will be announcing their contingency plans over the rest of the week.

Mr Lui said the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and Changi Airport Group have contingency plans, and public transport operators are advised to pay attention to staff with breathing difficulty.

Since June 19, as a precaution, the separation between aircraft take-offs and landings have been increased, airfield lights are also turned on in the daytime.

Under normal circumstances, Changi Airport can allow aircraft to land safely when the runway visual range is more than 550 metres. If it falls to between 300 and 550 metres, aircraft can still land safely with more stringent measures, such as enforcing obstacle protection.

Mr Tan added that the priority is to make sure all workers are looked after, and that life goes on as the dry season continues.

He urged employers to be vigilant and aware, to mitigate risks and be flexible. They must stay up to date with the health advisories, and adjust work processes accordingly, he said.

To help employers to access and process relevant information to manage the ill effects of the haze, the Singapore National Employers Federation (SNEF) said in a statement today that it will “distill relevant and practical information provided by the Haze committee and other relevant agencies to keep employers informed and updated especially on the measures to take at the workplace”.

SNEF has also launched a hotline (Tel: 6327 9297) and a dedicated email (haze@snef.org.sg) for employers to seek advice on managing workplace issues
that arise.

Dr Ng added that he is very encouraged by Singaporean groups who reach out to the less privileged on their own, and that Singaporeans know what is important and pool together to make things work in times of difficulty.

Earlier today, Dr Ng and Mr Tan visited Singapore’s first waterfront public housing project, Waterway Terraces, to meet with workers on the ground and staff from the Housing and Development Board to find out more about their concerns and measures taken during the haze.

Tiong Seng Contractors, which is in charge of the project, conducts daily briefings with workers and issues N95 masks to all workers.

Mr Derick Pay, Director of Tiong Seng Contractors, said it is business as usual at the site when the PSI is under 300, but at above 200 all workers must wear masks. Work stopped for two hours when the 3-hour psi surpassed 400 on Friday (June 21).

Despite the work stoppages, Mr Pay said the construction project is on schedule as work is only halted at two or three hours at a time.

Dr Ng was also joined by Mr Lui for a visit to Changi Airport to meet air traffic controllers and the ground staff.

To counter the haze, Changi Airport Group has halted non-essential outdoor maintenance work, such as grass cutting and trolley maintenance. CAG has also swapped older workers with younger ones and moved the former indoors.

Indonesian leader says sorry for haze
Yudhoyono resolves to tackle fires that have strained relations with neighbours
Zakir Hussain Indonesia Bureau Chief In Jakarta
Straits Times 25 Jun 13;

PRESIDENT Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has apologised for the haze blanketing Singapore and Malaysia, and stressed that Indonesia will bear responsibility for resolving a problem that has frayed relations with its two neighbours.

In a televised press conference at his office yesterday evening, Dr Yudhoyono said: "For what has happened, as President, I say sorry, and seek the understanding of our brothers in Singapore and Malaysia.

"Indonesia had no intention to cause this. And we will continue to bear responsibility to overcome what has happened."

His comments come a week after land-clearing fires in forests and plantations in Riau, exacerbated by strong winds, saw the haze over Singapore and peninsular Malaysia reach record highs.

But calls for Indonesia to act also drew strong comments from several Indonesian ministers in recent days. Yesterday, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik told an Asean meeting in Bali that Singapore and Malaysia should "know themselves" and be good neighbours.

Other officials had also said companies linked to Malaysia and Singapore could have been behind the illegal burning.

Dr Yudhoyono said: "There are statements from several officeholders that I feel need not be put across that way. Sometimes, the facts have not been checked, and that becomes an issue. This has become a concern from Singapore and also Malaysia."

He said he had instructed officials that there was no need for such statements, or to single out countries for blame.

"To say the negligent company is Indonesian, or owned by foreigners from Malaysia or Singapore, that is not needed. What is needed is to focus all efforts on overcoming the haze and burning," he said.

He pledged to step up efforts to deal with forest fires. Indonesia has launched several cloud-seeding and water-bombing missions in the past few days, though their effectiveness had been checked by the drier weather this year.

He also urged other provinces on Sumatra and Kalimantan that are prone to forest fires in recent years to take measures to prevent a repeat of the current disaster.

Enforcement action will continue, he said, adding: "Whether it is an Indonesian company or foreign company, the law will be applied firmly and fairly."

Indonesian police yesterday made their first detentions related to the forest fires causing the haze, arresting two farmers who were clearing their land by burning. But the police said the duo were not linked to the 14 companies that officials had said were being investigated for the fires, eight of which have been named.

In Malaysia, where the haze has reached Kuala Lumpur, all schools in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Selangor will reopen today after they were ordered closed yesterday.

In Singapore, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, who heads an inter- ministerial committee to tackle the haze, promised that all ministries would share action plans this week in case the haze returns.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed a diplomatic note to Indonesia's ambassador in Singapore that raises questions and concerns about the alleged involvement of Singapore-linked companies in the Sumatra fires.

The air quality today is expected to remain "moderate". But a slight haze is expected in the next few days due to the wind conditions, the National Environment Agency said.

Ministries make plans to minimise disruption
Singaporeans may need to adjust daily routines, warns Ng Eng Hen
Amelia Tan Straits Times 25 Jun 13;

ALL Government ministries will announce action plans this week to help minimise any future disruption to Singaporeans caused by haze conditions.

The chairman of the haze inter-ministerial taskforce, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, told a press conference last night that Singaporeans' lives could be affected by problems ranging from public transport delays to longer queues at hawker centres, to workers slowing down as they work with masks on.

He said it was therefore important that people heeded the plans to be announced so that they can adjust their daily routines.

Dr Ng listed various scenarios that could occur if air conditions worsen.

Lower visibility would mean drivers have to slow down to avoid accidents. Changi Airport may have to slow down its operations or divert planes, while road and sea supplies from Malaysia could also be affected.

Garbage collection and construction of Housing Board flats may be delayed as outdoor workers are required to rest more.

Dr Ng said: "The key will be to adjust, slow down but don't stop, and we must protect our health, but in addition, prevent mass disruptions as far as possible."

He also called on unions and employers to support the Government in ensuring the haze action plans are rolled out smoothly.

Dr Ng said the taskforce decided to turn its attention to helping Singaporeans cope with the impact the haze has had on them, now that most retailers have been stocked up with N95 masks.

Many had run out of supplies before the Health Ministry pushed out another four million to people on lower incomes, vulnerable citizens and retailers.

Dr Ng was speaking to reporters after a visit to Changi Airport and an HDB development project in Punggol, where he met workers to find out how they were dealing with the haze.

He was accompanied by Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin and Transport Minister Lui Tuck Yew.

Mr Tan called on employers to put the safety of their workers first, and assured firms that his ministry would help them get face masks if they had problems acquiring them.