Best of our wild blogs: 6 Jun 13

Save MacRitchie Forest: 3. Mammals
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Last field trips on Day 17 of the Southern Expedition
from Mega Marine Survey of Singapore

Molluscs, ascidians, stars and cucumbers: Mini-talks at the Southern Expedition from Mega Marine Survey of Singapore

Random Gallery - Palm Bob
from Butterflies of Singapore

Palm oil expansion endangering rare frogs in Malaysia
from Mongabay.com news by Rhett Butler

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Population conversation and reviews will continue

Straits Times Forum 6 Jun 13;

WE REFER to Mr Colin Loh's comments on the Population White Paper ("Hard to engage public if details are lacking"; Forum Online, last Thursday).

The basis for the population projections was provided in the White Paper and several occasional papers published over the past year.

The Paper considered the need to sustain our citizen population, given that our birth rates have been well below replacement level.

While we do our best to encourage marriage and parenthood, we are not likely to reach the replacement rate in the medium term, judging from our own experience and that of other developed countries, especially those in East Asia.

The Paper projected that there will be 900,000 Singaporeans over the age of 65 by 2030, three times the number today. This would mean just 2.1 Singaporeans of working age for each Singaporean above the age of 65 in 2030, compared with 5.9 today.

The Paper considered how to cater to the social and health-care manpower needs of our citizens, while creating enough good jobs and opportunities for Singaporeans in the future.

Bearing in mind our social and infrastructure constraints, the Paper projected that workforce growth would have to slow significantly, compared with the average of 3.3 per cent a year over the past 30 years. The Paper thus projected growth of 1 to 2 per cent a year up to 2020, and about 1 per cent a year from 2020 to 2030.

Together with productivity growth of 1 per cent to 2 per cent a year in the long term, which is comparable to the rate in developed countries, our economic growth is projected to slow, from the 6 per cent to 8 per cent a year experienced in the last three decades, to between 2 per cent and 3 per cent a year beyond 2020.

An ageing or shrinking population risks being unable to provide for our seniors, and an economy unable to create enough good jobs.

However, we understand the concerns of Singaporeans over the pace of change in society, the number of foreigners, and the need to provide adequate physical infrastructure to meet immediate as well as longer-term needs.

We will continue the population conversation to collectively arrive at the appropriate balance. Closer to 2020, we will review the population projections and our policies again, taking into account our changing circumstances and needs.

Should Mr Loh require further details, we invite him to contact us at nptd_contact@nptd.gov.sg

Soffy Hariyanti (Ms)
Director (Corporate Communications)
National Population and Talent Division
Prime Minister's Office


Hard to engage public if details are lacking
Straits Times Forum 30 May 13;

WHILE I applaud the civil service officers for the research work done in preparing the Population White Paper, it was short on details, making it difficult to "engage the public in deep discussions about the trade-offs" ("Population White Paper 'never meant to predict future'"; last Saturday).

It is not wrong to put up a population figure of 6.9 million for consideration, but Singaporeans need to know the methodology used and the premises and assumptions made to arrive at this figure.

It is futile to release a White Paper and expect Singaporeans to debate the issue if the actual details are not known.

Statistical projection, where human behaviour is involved, is never an exact science. I doubt the civil service would be faulted in the event of the projections not being realised, if the details were clearly shared and feedback taken.

I agree with civil service head Peter Ong that the White Paper should not be a deterministic exercise.

If Singaporeans do not agree with the 6.9 million figure, the public service may be required to look into other solutions, and share with them the consequences of not having this population size. The issue needs to be properly debated and scrutinised. Singaporeans and the Government will need to move as one to ensure a bright future for the country.

Colin Loh

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Animal welfare group wins $26.5m in contamination suit

K.c. Vijayan Straits Times 6 Jun 13;

AS A shelter for rescued wildlife, it was meant to be clean, safe and ecologically sound.

Instead, part of the site ended up as a stinking, contaminated wasteland after a contractor filled the soil with woodchips that rotted.

Now, animal welfare group Acres - which first took legal action in 2008 - has been awarded $26.5 million in damages.

"After five long years, there has been some closure finally," its director Louis Ng told The Straits Times yesterday. "Justice has been served, and we hope to get final closure by pursuing payments from the defendants."

Acres - known in full as the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society - hired ANA Contractors to level a site the size of two football fields back in 2006.

It then built the $650,000 shelter to house creatures such as turtles, snakes and monkeys that were rescued from the illegal wildlife trade.

But 1.5ha of the Choa Chu Kang sanctuary had to be demolished after the contractor filled the earth with material believed to contain toxic hydrocarbon and other chemicals.

Foul-smelling brackish water leaked from the soil, and the National Environment Agency declared it a pollution threat to the nearby Kranji Reservoir.

Hiring a licensed toxic waste collector to clean it up will cost about $23 million, according to court documents.

And to stop the discharge from entering the reservoir, Acres had to install a special tank.

So far, this has set the group back by about $62,000.

In 2011, a court found ANA Contractors and site supervisor and director Tan Boon Kwee liable for the damage. Mr Tan was made a bankrupt last July, dragging out the court proceedings.

High Court assistant registrar James Lee has now set the sum of damages at $26.5 million.

It is believed to be the first case where a civic action group has successfully sued for environmental damage that is linked to the high degree of care needed to dispose of contaminated earth. Each tonne of soil that had to be removed cost between $400 and $600, court documents showed.

Other claims included the amount of wasted rent paid to the Singapore Land Authority for the use of the contaminated land.

Acres has sheltered about 2,700 animals at the site since September 2009, Mr Ng told The Straits Times yesterday.

After being rescued and kept in the sanctuary, the animals are released in Singapore or abroad.

Lawyers Muralli Rajaram and Suresh Nair, who are representing Acres, said that whatever legal costs they recover from the other party will be donated to the animal welfare group.

Acres 'could have saved 4 times as many wild creatures'
Lim Yan Liang Straits Times 6 Jun 13;

THE first signs of trouble were a black discharge seeping from the soil and a smell of rotten eggs.

Only later did Acres director Louis Ng realise what had happened.

The contractor hired by his animal welfare group to level the ground for a new wildlife shelter had filled the soil with woodchips - which slowly began to rot.

Yesterday - after the group was awarded $26.5 million in damages - Mr Ng told The Straits Times that four times as many wild creatures could have been saved over the past five years had it not been for the problems.

Instead, Acres - known in full as the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society - not only had to do without the majority of its enclosures, but also had to clean up the mess left behind.

The group hired ANA Contractors in 2006 to level its 2ha plot in Sungei Tengah and build the shelter for creatures such as turtles and snakes that were rescued from the illegal wildlife trade.

"We started seeing a blackish discharge on the ground towards the end of the year, when it rained almost every day," said Mr Ng. "This was accompanied by a rotten egg smell."

Soil and water quality tests showed that 1.5ha of the plot needed to be demolished, as the material used to fill the earth was toxic.

Worse still, none of the more than 60 animal enclosures on the plot could be used, as the ground was not stable.

"As the woodchips decomposed, they would leave a vacuum, and eventually the structures would have collapsed," said Mr Ng.

This meant the group had to forgo rescuing some animals - including certain types of monkeys and reptiles - due to a lack of space.

Acres decided to leave the contaminated 1.5ha portion of the Choa Chu Kang shelter vacant.

Yet it still had to pay the Singapore Land Authority rent for the whole site, which was the size of two football fields.

Although the authority waived rent for the unused area from January 2010 out of goodwill, the court judged that the wasted payments amounted to more than $217,000.

Mr Ng was pleased with the $26.5 million judgment.

But he said it remained to be seen how much the group could collect as ANA Contractors director Tan Boon Kwee is now bankrupt.

"The question now is of course if he (Mr Tan) pays up, (and) it's up to the official assignee to determine how much we can get from him," said Mr Ng.

Court documents show it will cost more than $26 million to clean up and rebuild the entire site.

"We don't have that kind of money in the bank to start with," said Mr Ng.

Getting contractor to pay up 'will be difficult for Acres'
But the defendant, though a bankrupt, still has assets that can be seized, says Ng

Walter Sim Straits Times 8 Jun 13;

AN ANIMAL welfare group that has been awarded $26.5 million in damages over soil pollution at a shelter for rescued wildlife is bracing itself for a potential struggle to recover the money.

Acres' director Louis Ng admitted that it will be "probably quite difficult" to get the full sum from a contractor that caused the damage by filling the earth with toxic woodchips that rotted.

Lawyers warned that it is "not uncommon" for claimants in civil cases to never fully recover the damages awarded to them.

Mr Jason Lim of DeSouza Lim & Goh LLP said there are enforcement measures available. "But after these measures have been exhausted, the matter should end."

Acres (Animal Concerns Research and Education Society) successfully sued ANA Contractor and its then-director Tan Boon Kwee.

It hired the firm in 2006 to level a 2ha plot of land - roughly the size of two football fields - to build a $650,000 wildlife shelter. But the contractor filled the earth with material believed to contain toxic hydrocarbon and other chemicals.

Mr Tan, 50, was declared bankrupt last July.

Lawyer Suresh Nair of Straits Law Practice LLC, which represented Acres, said: "Going forward, we will consider the most effective ways to execute the judgment." He declined to comment on the specifics of the recovery process.

Mr Ng said he was happy that "justice has been served". He added that he is "still hopeful" that it will not be a "paper judgment" - a legal term for cases where next to nothing can be recovered by the claimant.

"We know ANA Contractor is not a $1 company, having had several big contracts," he told The Straits Times.

"Mr Tan cannot possibly be a poor guy - he used to own assets such as a resort on Pulau Ubin."

Lawyers told The Straits Times that claimants in such circumstances have several options to pursue.

Whether the claim is made against companies or individuals, these options include a "writ of seizure and sale".

Mr Lawrence Teh, a partner at Rodyk & Davidson LLP, said: "The party who won can apply to the court to seize and sell the property of the other party. Sale proceeds can then go towards satisfying the judgment amount."

He added: "The trick is to identify what property belongs to the party who lost, and what the best way of recovering payment might be."

Meanwhile, the claimant can also apply to have the debtor's bank accounts frozen and the money transferred directly to them.

Mr Tan was declared bankrupt last July after he was unable to repay the legal fees of Acres in the civil case.

In situations like this, a claim should be made to the trustee in a bankruptcy who is in charge of the distribution of all available property to the creditors, said Mr Teh.

Among the damages sought by Acres was about $23 million, which was spent to clean up the toxic waste, and $62,000 for the installation of a special tank to stop foul-smelling brackish water that had leaked from the soil from entering the nearby Kranji Reservoir.

A spokesman for the Singapore Land Authority, which leases the site to Acres, told The Straits Times: "There have been no other cases on tenanted State land where woodchips were used to fill the ground."

She added that earthworks are not allowed unless prior permission is obtained.

In 2010, the National Environment Agency pressed criminal charges against ANA Contractor and Mr Tan for polluting the reservoir.

The company - which was awarded the Building and Construction Authority Green Mark Award for an eco-sustainable project in 2007, was fined $330,000. Mr Tan was jailed for two weeks and fined $65,000.

At the 2ha Sungei Tengah site, 0.5ha has been used for an office and a wildlife recovery and rehabilitation centre, which has saved 2,700 wild animals since 2009. But Mr Ng said four times as many creatures could have been rescued if not for the teething problems.

The remaining 1.5ha, which is contaminated, remains vacant.

"We don't have $26.5 million to rectify the problem and rebuild everything," said Mr Ng. He appealed to construction companies to help the non-profit entity. "It has always been our dream to open a rescue centre, but to watch the whole thing collapse..."

Acres' lawyers, Mr Nair and Mr Muralli Rajaram, have said that whatever legal costs they recover will be donated to the animal welfare group.

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Why Singaporeans can't say "No" to plastic bags

Kimberly Spykerman Channel NewsAsia 5 Jun 13;

SINGAPORE: Singaporeans just can't seem to do away with plastic bags, despite calls to do so to save Mother Earth.

Each year in Singapore, some 2.5 billion plastic bags are used which means vast quantities of non-renewable resources such as crude oil and natural gas are consumed to produce them.

The Singapore Environment Council wants to find out why and it has commissioned a research paper to understand attitudes toward plastic bag usage.

Some 200 people will be surveyed and the findings will be shared in September.

Based on the findings, the council will propose creative solutions to the government in tackling the problem.

Executive Director of Singapore Environment Council, Jose Raymond noted that while the use of plastic bags cannot be eradicated as many people see them as a necessary commodity, it is important to look at how to reduce the amount of plastic bag use in Singapore as it is a problem that is not being dealt with quickly enough.

Mr Raymond added: "There are a few countries around the world which have regulated the use of plastic bags. Whether it is going to take place in Singapore, we don't know. What we hope to do is to create this awareness that we have a problem and when we have a problem, we do have to find solutions for it. We think that is the reason why this research paper will hopefully nudge the government and the people into looking at some of the solutions which we come up with, and maybe try to use them in their approach towards this plastic bag problem.

"If you know the amount that goes into the production of one kg of plastic bags, you realise that we are really utilising and using too much. I think our role is far greater than just outreach. We need to be able to influence people, and influencing people refers not just to the community, but even government, statutory boards, organisations."

Mr Raymond also noted that more people are also walking the talk when it comes to environmental consciousness. He noted, for example, that more companies are taking up the Singapore Green Label which he said translates to more people recognising that they have a part to play in environmental protection. He also noted expanded numbers in the council's Eco-Office Programme.

Ground-up efforts have also taken root in some supermarkets which offer incentives to those who say no to plastic bags.

NTUC FairPrice offers a 10-cent rebate to shoppers who spend above S$10 and bring their own bags.

Koh Kok Sin, chairperson of NTUC FairPrice's Green Committee, explained: "We know that 10-cents may seem small, but it is actually our small effort to give a reminder. And we do know of customers and even staff who have accumulated more than hundred transactions over a six-month period, and you think about it, a hundred over transactions is S$10 worth of rebates they earn."

At FairPrice Finest in Zhongshan Park, shoppers also get their own checkout counter which means getting to beat long queues.

The supermarket is one of only three outlets that is a testing ground for these green checkout counters. FairPrice said it will observe customer reactions as well as any operational difficulties that arise before deciding whether to expand these counters to other outlets.

Some shoppers have taken to the idea.

"It is more environmentally friendly so every little bit helps to keep it green," said shopper Marilyn Pollet.

Others like Ms Ivy Lai may need more persuasion.

"Usually we don't come to the supermarket directly. We go somewhere else and at the same time come here to buy something, so it is rather inconvenient," she said.

FairPrice is hopeful that with time, more shoppers will cotton on.

- CNA/fa

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Indonesia: Two more sumatran elephants found dead in Riau

Antara 2 Jun 13;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - Two Sumatran elephants (Elephas maximus sumatranus) were found dead, allegedly poisoned, in Tesso Nilo National Park, Pelalawan District, Riau province, on Wednesday, a spokesman said on Sunday.

"The two elephants found dead were young and its mother. They likely belonged to the same herd," the head of the park, Kupi Simbolon said here Sunday.

The elephant carcasses were found last Friday when personnel of the park and WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) monitored the movement of wild elephants in the park, he said.

"This is very worrying that too many elephants have died and I promise not to let this continue," he said.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the WWF Program for Riau, Syamsidar said the elephants were allegedly poisoned as they were found not far from the site where an elephant was found dead after being poisoned in May.

"They most likely belonged to the same herd as the locations where they were found were not far from each other," he said.

One of the dead elephants was still young, aged about five years old, Simbolon said adding its tusk remained intact when it was found.

The mother elephant was found one kilometer away from the cub`s carcass, he said.

It was believed the two elephants died two or three days ago, he said.

Syamsidar said the conflict between human and elephant in the park has been escalating since 2012.

As a matter of fact, the national park was established to help the preservation of the Sumatran elephants whose population now reaches only 150 to 200 in Tesso Nilo.

As many as 15 elephants were found dead in Riau in 2012, most of them in Tesso Nilo.

"So far this year three elephants have been found dead in Tesso Nilo," he said.

(A059/S012)
Editor: Jafar M Sidik

Rat poison allegedly kills two Sumatran elephants
Antara 5 Jun 13;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - Results of an autopsy showed that rat poison has killed a couple of Sumatran elephants on Friday (May 31), head of Tesso Nillo National Park, Kupin Simbolon said here on Tuesday.

"The rat poison was suspected to have killed both elephants because the poison residue was found in stomach of the elephants carcasses," Kupin said.

"We have no idea who did this," Simbolon added.

The elephant carcasses were found last Friday when personnel of the park and WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) monitored the movement of wild elephants in the park, he said.

"This is very worrying that too many elephants have died and I promise not to let this continue to happen," he said.

Meanwhile, spokesperson of the WWF Program for Riau, Syamsidar said the elephants were allegedly poisoned as they were found not far from the site where an elephant was found dead after being poisoned in May.

"They most likely belonged to the same herd as the locations where they were found not far from each other," he said.

One of the dead elephants was still young, aged about five years old, Simbolon said adding its tusk remained intact when it was found.

It was believed the two elephants died two or three days ago, he said.

Syamsidar said the conflict between human and elephant in the park has been escalating since 2012.

As a matter of fact, the national park was established to help the preservation of the Sumatran elephants whose population now reaches only 150 to 200 in Tesso Nilo.

As many as 15 elephants were found dead in Riau in 2012, most of them in Tesso Nilo.

"So far this year three elephants have been found dead in Tesso Nilo," he said.(*)

Editor: Heru

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Malaysia: Petronas Expects Rapid Project To Be Ready By 2017

Bernama 5 Jun 13;

KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 (Bernama) -- The first phase of the Petronas Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (Rapid) project in Pengerang will be completed by the first quarter of 2017, a year beyond the earlier target of 2016.

President and Group Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Shamsul Azhar Abbas said the Rapid project is still in the planning stage and the finance investment decision is expected in the first quarter of next year.

"Once we receive the finance investment decision, then it will be a lot of money to wrap up," he told a media briefing after presenting Petronas' first quarter 2013 financial performance Wednesday.

Shamsul Azhar said the Rapid project would probably take approximately RM60 billion of the national oil company's RM300 billion total capital expenditure announced last year.

He attributed the project's delay to the state government's housing scheme, the relocation of Muslim, Chinese and other cemeteries areas, and the water management problem.

"We cannot build our RM60 billion plant without our plant running because of the water problem.

"Therefore, we are thinking to take over the water project in Pengerang and we do not rely on the government to run the project," he added.

The Rapid project, covering some 2,000 hectares, is bigger than the combined areas of the Petronas hubs in Melaka, Kerteh and Gebeng, and is expected to produce nine million tonnes of petroleum products and 4.5 million tonnes of petrochemicals a year, including downstream products.

The facility will also have its own regasification plant that will enable it to receive liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers.

-- BERNAMA

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