Best of our wild blogs: 30-31 Jan 16

Night Walk At Dairy Farm Nature Park (29 Jan 2016)
Beetles@SG BLOG

Red for Prosperity
Butterflies of Singapore

Build cities that work with nature not against it
eco-business.com

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No data on long-term impact of transboundary haze: MOH

Any research on this would be “highly challenging” as results would be based on observational studies, says Minister of State for Health Lam Pin Min.
Channel NewsAsia 29 Jan 16;

SINGAPORE: There is currently no data – both locally or internationally – that looks into the long-term health impact of transboundary haze, Minister of State for Health Lam Pin Min said in Parliament on Friday (Jan 29).

Any research on this would be “highly challenging” as results would be based on observational studies, which would not be able to show a definite cause-and-effect relationship, Dr Lam said in response to a question by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Leon Perera.

“For example, it would be difficult to determine that intermittent exposure to haze 20 years ago caused the chronic obstructive airways disease in a person, since it could also have been caused by other factors such as smoking, previous lung infection, or existing lung diseases,” Dr Lam said.

However, there have been overseas studies based on long-term exposure to haze – different from the short-term, episodic haze that Singapore experiences, he said.

“These studies show that continuous, long-term exposure to air pollutants over several years may result in lung function abnormalities in children and subsequently, in adulthood. This could lead to greater susceptibility to the effects of ageing, infection and other pollutants, such as tobacco smoke, in adults.”

Short-term exposure to haze may cause irritation of the eyes, nose and throat, although such irritation usually resolves on its own, Dr Lam noted. In individuals with pre-existing chronic heart or lung diseases, short term exposure may trigger an episode or exacerbate the underlying diseases, such as an asthma attack, he added.

Several measures have been put in place to help Singaporeans in times of haze, such as distributing care packs and masks to the needy and implementing the Haze Subsidy Scheme, which provided subsidies of S$3.3 million last year with more than 77,000 haze-related attendances. Air purifiers will also be installed in classrooms of schools by July, Dr Lam said.

- CNA/cy

Over S$3.3 million disbursed under haze scheme last year
STACEY LIM Today Online 29 Jan 16;

SINGAPORE — More than S$3.3 million were paid out under the haze subsidy scheme last year – helping over 77,000 haze-related attendances GP clinics and polyclinics - due to the trans-boundary haze.

This was revealed by Minister of State (Health) Lam Pin Min in Parliament today in response to a question filed by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leon Perera, who asked the ministry whether it can provide data on the long-term impact of children’s exposure to haze in terms of the likelihood of developing respiratory illnesses, and the estimated healthcare cost of this impact.

In 2013 - the previous time the scheme kicked in – almost S$500,000 was provided for more than 17,000 haze-related attendances.

Dr Lam said that it would be difficult to ascertain the direct long-term health effects due to the episodic exposure to haze, as there could be many contributing factors to the long-term health outcome. Nevertheless, the short-term effects of haze on school-going children include irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. Short term exposure for individuals with pre-existing chronic heart or lung diseases may also trigger an episode or exacerbate the underlying diseases, such as an asthma attack.

Apart from widely-publicised health advisories, the Ministry of Health have put in place several measures to protect and enhance the health and well-being of Singaporeans. For example, the ministry has worked with community partners to distribute care packs and masks to the needy, ensure there are adequate supplies of protective masks in the market, educate the public and raise awareness of the health effects of the haze.

Dr Lam said the ministry has also welcomed the efforts by ST Dynamics to develop N95-equivalent masks that can fit children’s face, and has school continuity plans in place to take appropriate haze management measures. On Wednesday, the Ministry of Education also outlined its plan to provide air purifiers to all primary and secondary schools.

“Most importantly, we want to prevent haze from occurring in the first place. To this end, Singapore is working closely with neighbouring countries to tackle the haze issue, which is largely caused by irresponsible business practices,” Dr Lam added.

More than S$3.3m disbursed under Haze Subsidy Scheme last year: Lam Pin Min
The funds helped subsidise the cost of more than 77,000 visits to clinics and polyclinics to seek treatment for haze-related conditions, says the Minister of State for Health.
Channel NewsAsia 29 Jan 16;

SINGAPORE: More than S$3.3 million was disbursed under the Haze Subsidy Scheme last year, revealed Minister of State for Health Lam Pin Min in Parliament on Friday (Jan 29). The funds helped subsidise the cost of more than 77,000 visits to clinics and polyclinics to seek treatment for haze-related conditions.

He was responding to Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Leon Perera, who asked for data on the long-term effects of children's exposure to haze and the estimated healthcare cost of this impact.

The scheme was first introduced in 2013 and close to S$500,000 in Government subsidies was provided for more than 17,000 haze-related visits to clinics.

According to Dr Lam, it is difficult to ascertain the direct long-term health effects caused by episodic exposure to haze, as there could be other factors involved. He noted that there is currently no local or international data on this, and conducting research will be highly challenging, as it will be based on observational studies alone and will not be able to show a definite cause-and-effect relationship.

However, Mr Lam said the short-term impact of haze is well-documented, such as the irritation of the eyes, nose and throat. Those with chronic heart or lung diseases may also suffer an asthma attack.

Said Dr Lam: “Most importantly, we want to prevent haze from occurring in the first place. To this end, Singapore is working closely with neighbouring countries to tackle the haze issue, which is largely caused by irresponsible business practices.”

- CNA/xk

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Former Singapore Environment Council head joins Indonesian firm allegedly linked to forest fires

LOUISA TANG Today Online 29 Jan 16;

SINGAPORE — Former chief executive of the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) Jose Raymond has been appointed vice president of corporate affairs (Singapore) at Asia Pulp & Paper, a company that produces pulp, paper and packaging.

The company stirred up controversy last year, when the SEC temporarily restricted the use of the paper producer’s Singapore Green Label certification, after it emerged that there were alleged links to the Indonesian forest fires causing the transboundary haze.

Following that, as well as investigations by the council and the National Environment Agency, supermarkets such as NTUC FairPrice, Prime and Sheng Shiong pulled the company’s products such as toilet rolls and tissue papers off their shelves.

Ms Aida Greenbury, managing director of sustainability at Asia Pulp & Paper, said of her firm’s new hire: “Mr Raymond will manage the company’s relationships with its stakeholders, key customers and Singaporean consumers. He brings a wealth of experience over his 20-year career as a journalist, business manager and administrator, as well as expertise in issues pertaining to sustainability.”

Mr Raymond told TODAY this was an “amazing opportunity” and he was “thankful that the company has chosen a Singaporean as one of its senior executives”.

“APP has been on a transformation journey on the road to being a leader in sustainability,” he added.

Mr Raymond headed the SEC from late 2011 to January 2015.

Before this new appointment, he was the senior director of communications and stakeholder management at the Singapore Sports Hub.

The current vice-president (finance) of the Singapore Swimming Association, Mr Raymond had posted on Facebook an advisory from the association during the haze period last October, talking about how the haze “destroys the months of hard work put into preparing for programmes and events” when they have to be cancelled, and the time and effort put into the events are “wasted beyond measurement”. 
He added in the advisory: “On our part, the SSA (Singapore Swimming Association) will seek legal advice and may consider joining other parties and individuals in any class action suit which is brought against any Singapore-listed company which is linked to the burning of forests in Indonesia which is now causing one of the worst haze episodes to affect the region and in particular Singapore.”

Asia Pulp and Paper, which is not listed on the Singapore Exchange, is owned by the Widjaja family’s Sinar Mas Group, an Indonesian conglomerate, which also runs Singapore-listed firms.

Ms Greenbury had said in a letter to TODAY last October that Asia Pulp and Paper has a “zero-burn” policy since 1996, so its suppliers do not use fire to clear land. “Though there are fires in our suppliers’ concessions that were not started by APP or our suppliers, we are doing all we can to suppress them.”

When contacted to comment on Mr Raymond’s move, the SEC declined to do so.

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Two food establishments at Pulau Ubin now have safe treated water

NG JING YNG Today Online 31 Jan 16;

SINGAPORE — With the installation of water treatment systems at food establishments at Pulau Ubin, two food operators now have safe treated water that they will be able to use for the preparation of retail food and drinks.

Last month, the National Environment Agency (NEA) had required that water from the wells of Pulau Ubin be boiled for at least a minute before being used for the preparation of retail food and drinks. This is because tests of samples of tap water at the island showed traces of E.coli bacteria and total coliform bacteria that could result in symptoms like nausea, diarrhoea and fever.

But after the installation of water treatment systems at three of the seven licensed retail food establishments at Pulau Ubin earlier this month, two of the three operations now have treated water that can be used to prepare food and drinks. The operators have also told authorities that they will ensure the regular maintenance of the water treatment system.

This initiative to install water treatment systems at retail food establishments at Pulau Ubin was mooted by the Siglap Citizens’ Consultative Committee and non-governmental organisation, Corporate Citizen Foundation. National water agency PUB provided technical advice on the installation of the water treatment systems at these retail food establishments.

The seven-step water treatment system, costing about S$7,000, starts with a strainer that removes large particles and ends with a UV light steriliser to inactivate viruses and other micro organisms.


For now, these retail food establishments with safe treated water will be able to use this option instead of boiling raw well water while the NEA will continue to track the usability of this treated water.

Maintenance includes daily flushing every evening and cleaning the filters every week. The cartridges used in the water treatment system have also to be changed once around six months to a year. Maintenance cost is estimated to be about S$500 to S$600 every year which will be borne by the food operators.

Authorities also said that they are currently exploring installing water treatment units on Pulau Ubin to provide potable water for residents and the public.

Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs Maliki Osman, member of Parliament for East Coast GRC, said that this initiative was made possible with the cooperation of different stakeholders, both from the public and private sector.

Water treatment systems installed at Ubin food stalls
The systems were installed as an interim measure to address concerns about the quality of raw well water on the island.
Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia 31 Jan 16;

SINGAPORE: Three of the seven licensed food stalls at Pulau Ubin will no longer have to boil well water before using it to cook, after water treatment systems were installed at their premises.

The systems, which costs about S$7,000 each and were sponsored by construction firm HSL Constructor, were installed at the three stalls – Cheong Lian Yuen, Sim Lim Huat and Season Live Seafood – as an interim measure to address concerns about the quality of raw well water on the island.

In December last year, NEA issued a notice to all licensed retail food establishments on Pulau Ubin to boil well water for at least a minute before using it to prepare food and drinks for sale. Alternatively, they are required to use bottled water or water from the mainland.

The move came about after testing of samples of tap water drawn from wells showed the presence E. Coli bacteria and total coliform bacteria.

Since the systems were installed, the treated water have been found to be free of the contaminants, NEA said.

The initiative to install the water treatment systems was coordinated by the Siglap Citizens' Consultative Committee and the NGO- Corporate Citizen Foundation, with support from government agencies.

Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs Dr Maliki Osman said there are plans to install a fourth water treatment system at another food stall in the coming weeks.

He said the food stalls have seen business dropping by about 20 to 30 per cent, and he hopes the measure will restore public confidence.

The stalls have agreed to maintain the system regularly to ensure it continues to perform as designed. Taps will also be set up to allow other residents on the island to have access to the treated water. The treated water however, will not be accessible from taps in public restrooms.

- CNA/cy

Water treatment systems installed at Ubin food stalls
The systems were installed as an interim measure to address concerns about the quality of raw well water on the island.
Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid, Channel NewsAsia 31 Jan 16;

SINGAPORE: Three of the seven licensed food stalls at Pulau Ubin will no longer have to boil well water before using it to cook, after water treatment systems were installed at their premises.

The systems, which costs about S$7,000 each and were sponsored by construction firm HSL Constructor, were installed at the three stalls – Cheong Lian Yuen, Sim Lim Huat and Season Live Seafood – as an interim measure to address concerns about the quality of raw well water on the island.

In December last year, NEA issued a notice to all licensed retail food establishments on Pulau Ubin to boil well water for at least a minute before using it to prepare food and drinks for sale. Alternatively, they are required to use bottled water or water from the mainland.

The move came about after testing of samples of tap water drawn from wells showed the presence E. Coli bacteria and total coliform bacteria.

Since the systems were installed, the treated water have been found to be free of the contaminants, NEA said.

The initiative to install the water treatment systems was coordinated by the Siglap Citizens' Consultative Committee and the NGO - Corporate Citizen Foundation, with support from government agencies.

The aim is to install it in four out of seven food establishments on the island and allow residents to tap on it eventually. Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs Dr Maliki Osman said there are plans to install a fourth water treatment system at another food stall in the coming weeks.

"We pay attention to the first four, because they are the major providers of food and water," he said. "For the moment, we have already installed three and we are intending to install one more at another food establishment.

So we will have finally four systems. And for each of the system we will provide one additional tap for the others in the neighbourhood to be able to tap on. What we are saying here is that we have provided an interim solution to the food establishments - so that the visitors who come to Pulau Ubin, whether they want to consume food or drinks at the establishment that we have provided this facility, will feel more confident."

He said the food stalls have seen business dropping by about 20 to 30 per cent, and he hopes the measure will restore public confidence.

The water treatment systems are being sponsored by a construction company - HSL Constructor. Each system costs about S$7,000. The stalls have agreed to maintain the system regularly to ensure it continues to perform as designed. This includes changing the filters every six months. Maintenance costs are expected to range between S$500 and S$600 annually.

Retailers say they don't mind bearing the costs.

"This system will help restore our business,” said Koh Siew Hong, who runs a seafood restaurant on the island. “I find it okay to pay S$500 or S$600 a year because residents here will benefit. I have confidence in this system."

Dr Maliki added that the Government is looking at longer-term solutions to provide residents with better access to potable water. Taps will also be set up to allow other residents on the island to have access to the treated water. The treated water however, will not be accessible from taps in public restrooms.

- CNA/cy

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Singapore needs cultural shift to become a city for people, not a city for cars: Lawrence Wong

Yeo Sam Jo, The Straits Times AsiaOne 31 Jan 16;

SINGAPORE - Singapore needs a "cultural shift" towards a car-lite future so as to be more sustainable in the long run, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said on Saturday.

Referring to the ongoing SGfuture dialogue sessions, in which the public are invited to share their ideas for Singapore's development, Mr Wong said: "One of the ideas that resonated tremendously with the participants young and old was a vision for a car-lite Singapore. And I think that's a very important national shift that we must strive to achieve."

Mr Wong, who was on a visit to car-free zones in Kampong Glam and Liang Seah street, cautioned against being over-reliant on cars.

He said: "If you look at what we have done over the last 50 years of development, we have built more roads, we have designed our city to accommodate more cars. And if you were to just project that trend for the next 50 years, I don't think it's going to be sustainable.

"We would literally have a city for cars than a city for people, and I think that would be a terrible outcome.

"It's not just about becoming a more environmentally-friendly environment. More fundamentally, it is about becoming a more attractive, a more liveable and a more people-friendly city."

Mr Wong said that Keong Saik Street and Armenian Street could be the next to become car-free zones. There are currently 11 such streets, including Haji Lane, Bali Lane and Club Street, which are closed to cars during certain hours on weekends.

Starting Feb 28, parts of the Civic and Central Business district, including the Padang, Robinson Road and Shenton Way, will also become a pedestrianised zone on the last Sunday of each month. The trial will last for six months.

Mr Wong said he hopes such an idea will catch on in the heartlands.

"We want this to be not just about the city centre. We want potentially car-free weekends or more pedestrianised streets also in the neighbourhoods, in the HDB heartlands," he said. "But as I said, this can only work with ownership and participation by the community."

Make S'pore a city for people, not cars: Minister
Yeo Sam Jo, The Straits Times AsiaOne 31 Jan 16;

Singapore needs a "cultural shift" towards a "car-lite" future that will make it more sustainable in the long run, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said yesterday.

If Singapore keeps building more roads and making way for more cars in the next half-century, he predicted: "We would literally have a city for cars rather than a city for people... That would be a terrible outcome."

Referring to the ongoing SGfuture dialogues, in which the public is invited to share its ideas for Singapore's development, Mr Wong said: "One of the ideas that resonated tremendously with the participants, young and old, was a vision for a car-lite Singapore. And I think that's a very important national shift that we must strive to achieve."

Mr Wong, who was on a visit to car-free zones in Kampong Glam and Liang Seah Street, cautioned against being over-reliant on cars.

He said: "Over the last 50 years of development, we have built more roads; we have designed our city to accommodate more cars. And if you were to just project that trend for the next 50 years, I don't think it's going to be sustainable.

"It's not just about becoming a more environmentally friendly environment... It is about becoming a more attractive, a more liveable and a more people-friendly city."

Mr Wong said that Keong Saik Street and Armenian Street could become the next car-free zones.

There are currently 11 such streets here, including Haji Lane, Bali Lane and Club Street. These close to traffic during certain hours on weekends. From Feb 28, parts of the Civic and Central Business districts will also become pedestrianised zones on the last Sunday of each month, in a six-month trial.

Car-lite planning has even extended to new roads. The upcoming North-South Expressway will have lanes reserved for buses, as well as a cycling path and pedestrian walkway along the entire route.

Mr Wong hopes such a car-lite mentality will catch on in the heartland. "We want this to be not just about the city centre," he said. "We want potentially car-free weekends or more pedestrianised streets also in the neighbourhoods. But this can work only with ownership and participation by the community."

Architect Cai Bingyu, 32, who attended a dialogue yesterday, does not plan to own a car.

"We have a convenient public transport system, and car COEs (certificates of entitlement) are so expensive," he said. "A city should be more for people than vehicles. I'm glad we're moving in that direction."

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Swiss company opens hazardous chemicals facility on Jurong Island

The Singapore facility is Bertschi’s most advanced in Asia, with its safety certification said to surpass industry ISO standards.
Channel NewsAsia 29 Jan 16;

SINGAPORE: Switzerland's Bertschi AG opened a S$45 million facility on Jurong Island on Friday (Jan 29), adding specialised logistics capabilities to support the island's chemicals industry.

Occupying 30,610 square metres of land, Bertschi's new facility will handle and store specialty and hazardous chemicals produced by other companies on the island.

The Singapore facility is Bertschi’s most advanced in Asia, with its safety certification said to surpass industry ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) standards. It is also its first facility in South-East Asia.

“While better known for its refineries and petrochemical complexes, Jurong Island has in recent years welcomed more manufacturing activities in specialty chemicals," said Mr Damian Chan, Executive Director of Energy and Chemicals in the Singapore Economic Development Board.

"Such manufacturing activities require specialised logistics capabilities, and the addition of Bertschi is an example of how we continually ensure Jurong Island remains competitive. As such, companies here can continue to find Singapore an ideal location to grow their business,” he added.

The Swiss company says a phase two expansion is underway to add a dangerous good warehouse to the facility by the second half of 2017.

- CNA/ek

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Malaysia: Wildlife smuggling syndicates busted in raid

SIMON KHOO The Star 30 Jan 16;

KUALA LUMPUR: Two animal smuggling syndicates were crippled by the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) which saw the arrests of six smugglers, including the mastermind and several brokers.

Two mousedeer and 468 live burung murai batu (magpies) were seized from the suspects, aged between 30 and 50, in separate raids in Selangor and Johor on Thursday night.

The mousedeer were to be sold for RM1,000 while the magpies were to be shipped to a neighbouring country.

Each magpie could fetch RM200 to thousands of ringgit, depending on the tail and its chirp.

Perhilitan enforcement division director Hasnan Yusop said that acting on a tip-off and surveillance, his officers intercepted a car near a petrol station in Kampung Jawa, Klang, at about 9pm.

“We found two mousedeer kept in a storage box on the back passenger seat of the car. Upon questioning, the two men in the car admitted they were waiting for a buyer to conclude an illegal deal,” he told The Star.

The men, who were suspected to be wildlife brokers, were detained to assist in investigations under the Wildlife Conservation Act 2010.

Hasnan said checks showed that the suspects did not have documents to keep the protected species.

He said his officers had trailed the suspects from the Shah Alam bus station before they made the arrest.

“We believe they had engaged the services of a transport company based in Kuantan before collecting the box with the mousedeer,” he said.

Both suspects face a fine of up to RM50,000 or up to two years’ jail or both, if convicted.

In Bandar Penawar, Kota Tinggi, four men, including the mastermind who specialised in smuggling and trading magpies via the sea, was detained in a major bust at about 9.30pm.

Hasnan said the syndicate had been active over the past two months, smuggling various species of exotic birds to Batam, Indonesia.

“Two of the suspects were Indonesians and we are tracking down several accomplices.

“We seized a boat with an engine and two four-wheel-drive vehicles, all worth about RM400,000,” he said, adding that the illegal activity was conducted in big scale along the Tanjung Lompat shoreline.

The suspects were loading the magpies which were kept in dozens of cages into the boat when they were caught.

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Malaysia, Sabah: Jellyfish invasion at Tanjung Aru

MUGUNTAN VANAR The Star 31 Jan 16;

KOTA KINABALU: The jellyfish invasion at the popular Tanjung Aru beach is showing no sign of abating.

A nine-year-old girl became the latest victim to be stung by jellyfish, bringing the total known cases to 22 this month.

Marshada Shirlin was stung on her right hand and leg by what is believed to be the more poisonous box jellyfish.

She was immediately taken out of the water by lifeguards from the Department of Civil Defence who were alerted by the young girl’s screams for help at about 10.30am yesterday.

One of the lifeguards, Thomas Oman, said after treating her with vinegar, her family then took her to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital where she was given outpatient treatment.

Sabah Fisheries Department has discovered two species so far after sending a team of experts from the Likas Fisheries Centre on Jan 20 to investigate reports.

One of the species was identified as the chironomid box jellyfish (chorpsalmus quadrigatus) locally known as obor-obor api, which is highly venomous, neurotoxic and cardiotoxic.

The other is locally known as obor-obor pasir, a black spotted jellyfish similar to the Catostylus townsendi species.

Stings from their tentacles can cause itch and/or allergic reactions upon contact with skin, leading to inflammation and swelling on the affected part of the victim.

The jellyfish season is expected to persist at least until March due to the El Nino.

It is believed that many people could have been stung but did not go to the authorities after self-treatment by applying vinegar or lime on the affected part.

Girl stung by poisonous jellyfish at Tanjung Aru beach
MUGUNTAN VANAR The Star 30 Jan 16;

KOTA KINABALU: A nine-year-old girl became the latest victim of a jellyfish sting at the popular Tanjung Aru beach here Saturday, bringing the total reported cases to 22 so far this month.

Marshada Shirlin was heard screaming for help at about 10.30am after being stung on the right hand and leg by what is believed to be a poisonous type of box jellyfish, which was immediately removed by Department of Civil Defence lifeguards.

One of the lifeguards Thomas Oman said they treated Marshada with vinegar before the family took her to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was given outpatient treatment.

On Jan 20, the Sabah Fisheries Department sent a team of experts from the Likas Fisheries Centre to investigate reports of jellyfish sting incidents and found two species.

One of the species was identified as the chironomid box jellyfish (Chorpsalmus quadrigatus) locally known as “obor-obor api” known to be highly venomous and are neurotoxic, cardiotoxic and dermatonecrotic.

The other species locally known as “obor-obor pasir” is a black spotted jellyfish similar to the Catostylus townsendi species.

Stings from their tentacles can cause itchiness and/or allergic reactions upon contact, inflammation in the skin and swelling.

The jellyfish season is expected to persist throughout January to March this year due to the current El Nino season.


Stinging threat for beachgoers
MUGUNTAN VANAR The Star 2 Feb 16;

KOTA KINABALU: Many are staying away from the waters of the popular Tanjung Aru beach here following reports of a jellyfish infestation due to the current dry spell triggered by El Nino.

The beach, which usually draws large crowds on the weekends, has seen few people heading into the water recently. Most of those who turn up only have picnics by the shore.

Groups of picnickers can be observed along the beach, although only a few people wade in the shallow waters and even fewer swim in the sea.

Local picnicker Emanuel, who turned up with his two children, aged three and five, said he wanted his children to enjoy themselves at the beach but would not allow them into the water.

As of Jan 29, some 22 people have suffered jellyfish stings, according to Civil Defence lifeguards who gave immediate treatment to the victims. Some of them were sent to the hospital.

There have been no reports of any fatalities.

Following these incidents, the Sabah Fisheries Department’s experts from the Likas Fisheries Research Centre found two types of species – the chironomid box jellyfish (chorpsalmus quadrigatus), locally known as obor-obor api, and the catostylus townsendi species or obor-obor pasir – in the waters off Tanjung Aru beach.

Obor-obor api is known to be highly venomous and can cause severe skin irritation and affect the nervous sytem, among others, while obor-obor pasir can cause skin inflammation and swelling.

The department said the jellyfish season could persist till next month due to El Nino, which will likely end by late next month or early April.

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Malaysia: Penang studying plan to build cable car across Middle Bank

ARNOLD LOH The Star 29 Jan 16;

GEORGE TOWN: A major realignment to the island-mainland cable car plan – Penang Sky Cab – could see passengers travelling 90m directly over Middle Bank.

This change will also see the cable car station built as part of the future development of Jelutong landfill.

A source revealed that the cables could stretch from Penang Sentral, where the ferry terminal is on the mainland, to the future development of Jelutong landfill.

It will cut across Middle Bank and be about 5km long instead of the previous 3.6km.

“At low tide and with a pair of binoculars, passengers might clearly see the large sea anemones and crabs that live on this 50ha carpet of green grass,” the source said.

He said an environmental impact assessment (EIA) would begin on the project soon.

Change on the horizon: The planned cable car station is part of the future development of Jelutong landfill (foreground) and it will be along Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway near the landfill’s entrance (circled) next to a petrol station. This aerial photo was taken 175m above sea level with a drone camera.

The planned cable car station, the source said, will be by the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway near the entrance to the landfill.

Previously, the cable car station on the island side was to be at Nordin Street Ghaut, but he said consultants had calculated that the area’s roads might not cope with the potential swell of traffic.

The 21.44ha landfill is 21 years old and would be rehabilitated.

But while the tourism value of Penang Sky Cab could go up a notch with this plan, the source is worried about Middle Bank.

“The cable pylons are 50m apart and the towers are 500m from each other. Middle Bank is 1km from the island, so how close will the pylons be to the seagrass bed?”

He said although the structures would have a small footprint, the construction would still kick up tonnes of seabed sediment that could hurt the seagrass.

He said there was an optional plan to turn one of the towers into a restaurant and observatory.

“If they choose to build one for passengers to stop and look at Middle Bank at low tide, the construction might be major enough to affect the seagrass environment.”

When contacted, a senior state government official who declined to be identified confirmed that the plan was being studied.

“There shouldn’t be any pylons or towers built on or near the bed. This change is not to capitalise on the seagrass but to manage the traffic and wind channelling effects on the cable cars as they cross the sea,” the official said.

Seeing red over dying greens
ARNOLD LOH The Star 29 Jan 16;

BEING too close to the ground can make it hard for people to see the forest for the trees. But step back 500m above sea level, and the situation can become clearer.

A drone camera pilot who is compiling a book filled with aerial photographs of Penang was disheartened when he sent his drone camera 2km out to sea to capture images of Middle Bank.

“It is not as green as previous photographs. If you are walking on the seagrass bed, things might look fine. But seen from the sky, the grass looks like it’s thinning.

“There is much more sand than grass in the pictures,” said Warren Tan from Se Vena Networks Sdn Bhd, who launched his drone camera from Karpal Singh Drive yesterday at 10am when the tide was lowest.

Based on his images, he said the thinning pattern seemed more pronounced near the Sungai Pinang river mouth and pointed to the possibility that human pollution flowing out was hurting the seagrass.

Tan gave The Star his photographs and video footages, taken at heights of between 2m and 500m above sea level, and hoped environmentalists would be able to use the images to identify the problem.

Penangites had a scare last year because there was talk that this area would be reclaimed, though the plans are shelved for now.

Environmentalist and Tanjung Bungah assemblyman Teh Yee Cheu brought several reporters by boat to the spot in April 2015 to document the abundant marine life living there.

But more challenges for this second largest seagrass bed in peninsular Malaysia may be on the way.

A source has revealed that Penang Sky Cab, the proposed island-mainland cable car ride, may cut across Middle Bank.

While the gondolas coasting overhead will not harm the seagrass, the construction of pylons and cable towers are another matter.

“Imagine hovering above at 90m during low tide. With binoculars, you might be able to spot the large sea anemones and crabs living on it.

“But if the pylons are built too close, the construction might cause pollution till the seagrass bed disappears,” the source said.

Middle Bank is about the same age as Penang Bridge — 31 years old.

It was created with undersea material dredged during the bridge’s construction in 1985.

The grass is obviously much thinner compared to its condition in April last year.

The bank is visible from the shore for about four to six hours a day when the tide is lowest.

At high tide, it is between 1m and 2m underwater.

Sunlight can still penetrate this depth and thus create an ideal environment for a seagrass bed to form and support a wealth of marine life.

Even dugongs were reported to feed on the seagrass.

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Malaysia, Penang: Massive sea reclamation project under PTMP to begin as early as 2018

PHUAH KEN LIN New Straits Times 29 Jan 16;

GEORGE TOWN: A massive sea reclamation to form two man-made islands is slated to start as early as 2018 under the proposed RM27 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), said a state executive councillor.

State Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the oddly-shaped islands with an area of 1,320 hectares would be built at the same time, subject to approval by the federal authorities.

He shed light about the mechanism of the upcoming massive reclamation off the southern tip of the island in Permatang Damar Laut in a public dialogue last evening here.

"The formation of the island through reclamation will be used to fund the construction of public infrastructure as a feature of PTMP such as light railway transit (LRT) and monorail.

"Both islands will take up to seven years to complete," Chow said.

He likened the reclamation move to fund infrastructure as "killing two birds with one stone", as the subsequent land allotment process would be necessary in a land swap deal with developers by the state government in lieu of payment.

Chow was addressing to a question from the floor by a member of Village And Security Development Committee (JKKK) to raise his concern about the environmental impact from the two islands in joint dialogue session with councilors.

He elaborated the islands would feature housing projects, administrative centres as well as public amenities, adding that plans would be underway to expand the land for industrial use to complement the saturated Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone.

"There is even a possibility that a new local council, a third of its kind will be set up to oversee a new administration on both islands," the state DAP chairman said.

Also present in the dialogue were Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, state Islamic Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Abdul Malek Abul Kassim and PTMP project delivery partner SRS Consortium represented by Azmi Mohamad.

Another JKKK member also raised his concern about the reclamation against the fishermen's livelihood and a possibility of relocation.

Malek allayed his concerns and said the state and SRS Consortium would build new fisherman wharf and to provide boat services at the man-made islands.

The public dialogue yesterday evening was its 10th edition since the state government and SRS Consortium started its engagement with stakeholders since last year.

Chow said the state government had expected PTMP to receive its final nod from the federal government agency such the Land Transport Commission (SPAD) by June next year.

A detailed environmental impact assessment is expected to be approved by Department of Environment in June this year.

PTMP is an ambitious state-initiated project which features an undersea tunnel linking the island to the mainland, highways, LRT, monorail as well as extensive bus connectivity on both the island and the mainland.

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Malaysia: 'Mosquitoes born with dengue virus'

SIM BAK HENG New Straits Times 30 Jan 16;

KUALA TERENGGANU: Transovarial transmission of dengue virus is most likely to have triggered the dengue outbreak in Terengganu, said the Institute for Medical Research (IMR).

This is in view that the transovarial dengue virus was present in the country, according to a research carried out by IMR.

Although the number of mosquito larvae having dengue virus in the research was small (6.3 per cent), it was evident that transovarial transmission for dengue virus could be the cause.

IMR medical entomology unit research officer Dr Rohani Ahmad said Terengganu was one of the states where transovarial dengue virus was present.

“We have conducted dengue virus screening in Aedes mosquitoes in the state.

Our studies showed the presence of dengue virus in mosquito larvae. “This means that a mosquito is born with the virus naturally.

The state Health Department declared a dengue outbreak in the state on Jan 13.

Dengue claimed its sixth victim, a 33-year-old man from Dungun, on Thursday, while an 11-year-old pupil of SK Seri Budiman is in critical condition.

As transovarial dengue virus was transmitted through birth, Dr Rohani said, the danger was such that the vector could transmit dengue virus once it emerged from the immature stage, such as pupa.

“If more transovarial mosquitoes mature, more people will become victims. “The mosquito can trigger a transmission without having to sting any persons infected with the virus.

“Imagine an area with 1,000 mosquitoes carrying transovarial dengue virus.

The chances of getting bitten and infected are high and an outbreak is possible.”

Dr Rohani said plastic containers were the most conducive breeding sites, followed by aluminium containers and tyres.

The dominant mosquito larvae collected during the IMR study were Aedes albopictus and Aedes aegypti.

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Malaysia vulnerable to spread of Zika virus -- Health Ministry

P. DIVAKARAN The Star 29 Jan 16;

PETALING JAYA: The Health Ministry has cautioned that Malaysia is vulnerable to the spread of the Zika virus.

Deputy Health Director-General Datuk Dr Lokman Halim Sulaiman said in a statement on Friday that the Ministry was monitoring the spread of the virus and believed that the disease could spread to Malaysia because of the high presence of Aedes mosquitoes in the country.

He said that based on inspections and the high number of dengue cases around the country suggest that the density of Aedes mosquitoes was still high.

Dr Lokman added that the risks brought by the disease were also high as Malaysians had yet to develop an immunity to the virus, making it likely that the disease could spread very quickly among Malaysians.

Earlier Friday, The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that it would convene a special emergency meeting on Feb 1 to deal with the Zika virus which was "spreading explosively".

Dr Lokman stressed that although the virus only caused slight fever, rashes on the body and joint pains, the Ministry viewed the matter seriously because the virus had been associated with microcephaly, a birth defect where infants are born with underdeveloped heads.

He also said that it was impractical and difficult to stop the spread of the virus to Malaysia due to its mild symptoms, difficulty in tracing infected people and also because there was also no quick "point of care test" available.

Dr Lokman urged all visitors – especially those from South and Central America and Malaysians returning from infected areas – who exhibit fever and spots to reports themselves to the Quarantine Health Centre or the nearest Health Department as soon as they arrive in Malaysia.

He also advised pregnant women to refrain from visiting infected countries and said that a health alert would be issued to all Government and private health facilities.

There are currently 22 countries that have reported incidences of the Zika virus, mainly located in South America and even in some developed nations like the United States.

Earlier in the week, Taiwan's Health Ministry said that a 24-year-old man was suffering from the disease, probably contracted when he was in northern Thailand.

There is currently no vaccine available for the virus and only the symptoms of the virus can be treated.

Although the virus has not been associated with deaths in adults it has been linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil.

According to the WHO, it could infect as many as four million people in the Americas.

Pregnant women urged to avoid Zika-affected countries
The Star 30 Jan 16;

PETALING JAYA: Pregnant women should not visit Latin American countries for the time being because of the threat of the Zika virus.

The Healthy Ministry issued an advisory against visiting 22 countries and territories: Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Martinique, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Saint Martin, Suriname, US Virgin Islands and Venezuela.

Also included in the list was the Pacific Ocean nation of Samoa.

Health deputy director-general (public health) Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman said Central and South America visitors, as well as Malaysians who return from that region, should report to the health quarantine centre or nearby health offices should they develop symptoms of infection.

“An alert has been issued to all government and private health facilities.

“Malaysians travelling to other countries must also take precautionary measures, such as avoiding outdoor activities in the early morning and late evening when Aedes mosquitoes are lurking, wear clothes covering the body and use mosquito repellent,” he said in a statement.

Dr Lokman said so far, there were no Zika-related cases in Malaysia.

“Malaysians do not have immunity against the virus. Therefore, if the virus is brought into the country by affected citizens or visitors, it will spread fast.

“Just like dengue, there is no vaccine or specific medication that can kill the virus. An affected person can be the source of infection to others,” he said.

Dr Lokman noted that Malaysia had a high number of Aedes mosquitoes and it was also burdened with dengue cases.

Reports said that an estimated 80% did not show any symptoms of the disease and the “healthy carriers” ended up spreading the virus without their knowledge.

“Although the disease would only result in mild fever, body rashes and joints pain and does not cause death, we are looking at it seriously because it is associated with microcephaly (a neurological condition in which babies are born with an abnormally small brain and skull).

“It is also linked to the ‘Guillain-Barre’ syndrome,” he said, adding that microcephaly would result in permanent head and brain injuries and affect the baby’s quality of life.

Dr Lokman urged Malaysians to pay serious attention and cooperate with the authorities to destroy mosquito breeding grounds.

“Efforts by all parties must be enhanced to stop the spread of dengue and other health threats caused by mosquitoes,” he said.


Zika, the brand new virus
D DIVAKARAN The Star 30 Jan 16;

PETALING JAYA: Described as a “brand new” virus, researchers are scrambling to understand the very basics, including how to prevent, treat and diagnose the emerging mosquito-borne threat of Zika virus.

Pregnant women are being urged to think twice before travelling to Latin American and Caribbean countries battling a rise in cases of microcephaly - a rare but brutal condition that shrinks the brains of unborn babies.

The virus has expanded swiftly in recent years and been linked to brain damage in babies.

AFP reports Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), as saying that "this is a brand-new virus so we, prior to this time, have really not spent anything on Zika."

Nor is there any vaccine on the market yet against dengue virus, which comes from the same family of flaviviruses.
The Malaysian Health Ministry has issued a warning that Malaysia is vulnerable to the disease.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the virus could infect as many as four million people in the Americas.

The increase has coincided with an outbreak of the usually benign Zika virus. But the virus and the birth defects have not been scientifically linked, leaving many questions about what is happening to these children in the womb.

Here are some questions you need to know of the Zika virus:

WHAT IS MICROCEPHALY?

Babies with microcephaly have an abnormally small brain and skull for their age, in the womb or at birth, with varying degrees of brain damage as a result. It has many potential causes: infections, viruses, toxins or unknown genetic factors.

WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE CHILD?

In serious cases, early death. If the brain is under-developed, the body cannot function properly. In French Polynesia (one of the regions affected), these deformities have caused most of the babies to be stillborn, as the unborn infants simply cannot survive.

For children who survive pregnancy and are born with microcephaly, the future is bleak. In the worst cases, children will be severely intellectually and physically handicapped. But even those less severely affected will likely struggle with psychomotor impairment - characterised by slow thought, speech and physical movements.

HOW DOES A VIRUS AFFECT AN UNBORN CHILD?

Many types of viral infections, such as rubella or cytomegalovirus, can cause physical deformities and intellectual deficiencies, especially during the first three months of pregnancy, when the vital organs are being formed. Viruses can travel through the placenta and infect the foetus directly, sometimes in the brain.

WHY IS MICROCEPHALY THOUGHT TO BE LINKED TO ZIKA VIRUS?

Microcephaly cases seem to have increased in the zone of the Zika outbreak. But also, the virus has been detected in stillborn children with microcephaly, as well as in the amniotic fluid. The link between Zika and microcephaly is highly likely, but has not yet been proven scientifically. The evidence for the link is relatively strong, and considered strong enough to warrant public health measures.

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO LEARN MORE?

Studies are underway in French Polynesia, where a Zika outbreak ocurred around the end of 2013 to beginning of 2014, to better understand how the virus may affect foetuses. In Martinique, where there is an outbreak right now, a trial group of pregnant women is being put together for study.

The difficulty is that people infected with the virus usually have no symptoms. A pregnant woman can thus be infected without knowing it. On the other hand, cases have been observed of pregnant women infected with Zika whose children did not develop microcephaly.

IS ZIKA CONTAGIOUS BETWEEN PEOPLE?

There has been a case of sexual transmission, and theoretically transmission by transplantation or transfusion cannot be ruled out. The main route of infection is through mosquitoes. - AFP/Reuters

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Malaysia: Scorching hot weather to persist till March

The Star 29 Jan 16;

KUALA LUMPUR: The scorching hot weather prompted by El Nino since early January is expected to persist till March.

Malaysian Meteorological Department director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail reminded the public against open burning and to consume plenty of water to prevent hydration.

The El Nino phenomenon is also the reason why there was no occurrence of a major flood in the country as it usually happens following heavy downpours, she told Bernama here Friday.

She said the weather in the month of December is usually more humid but monsoon activities that brought cold surges from China and Siberia have lessened, resulting in reduced rainfall in the country.

"The condition resulted in a drop in rainfall of between 20 and 60 per cent for most areas in the country rendering the weather hot and dry with temperatures rising by 0.5 to 2.0 degree Celsius," she said.

Typically during the rainy season, areas in the east coast of the peninsula, west Sarawak and northeast of Sabah would experience heavy downpours between November and January.

According to the department's records, the rainfall distribution in December last year in the interior of Pahang, Negri Sembilan, south and north of Perak, north of Kedah and Perlis was less than 200 millimetres.

Areas in the east coast had also recorded a drop of more than 20 per cent in rainfall. - Bernama


Met Dept pours hot water on cold snap prediction
The Star 31 Jan 16;

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has dismissed talk that “extreme cold weather” is expected to hit the northern hemisphere including some parts of the country next month.

Its director-general Datuk Che Gayah Ismail said the claim was not true and the temperature would remain within the normal range throughout February.

“In fact, the statement was not from me. The lowest temperature of 16°C was actually referring to last year’s minimum temperature,” she said when contacted yesterday.

An unverified news report went viral online, predicting that Malaysia will experience cold weather during the Chinese New Year period next month.

It was also reported in that report that the temperature in some parts of peninsular Malaysia could drop to as low as 16°C due to the wind change.

The temperature is currently between an average of 23°C to 33°C.

MetMalaysia forecast last month that the weather was expected to be hotter and drier due to the El Nino phenomenon.

Temperatures in parts of the country may go up by between 0.5°C and 2°C.

Less rainfall is also expected, especially in Sabah and north Sarawak.

“The last time the country faced an El Nino phenomenon of this high intensity was in 1997 and 1998 when temperatures reached 40.1°C,” said Che Gayah.

For comparison, the average minimum weather in Cameron High­lands ranged from 14°C to 16°C.


MetMalaysia denies cold temperatures will hit country
The Star 1 Feb 16;

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has denied that cold temperatures reaching 20 degrees Celsius will hit the country, especially in Kelantan and Perak this month.

In a statement Monday, MetMalaysia said based on the minimum temperature last month, it was not expecting February to record a drop in temperature as reported in the media.

"The minimum temperature in January was generally hotter by one to two degrees Celsius.

"MetMalaysia has forecast that the same condition will persist until June.

“Generally, the temperature in Malaysia's tropical climate is between 22 degrees Celsius at dawn, and 35 degrees Celsius in the afternoon,” it said.

The Department said the increase in temperature was due to the El Nino phenomenon that caused temperatures to rise between 1.5 and 2 degrees Celsius.

MetMalaysia said it was monitoring developments and that any updates can be obtained through the hotline 1-300-22-1638, or its official website, and social media.

A newspaper reported that the peninsula, especially in Kelantan and Perak, is expected to enjoy a cool and comfortable temperature that is anticipated to drop to 20 degrees Celsius throughout February. - Bernama

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Indonesia: Bengkulu to build tiger rehabilitation center in Seblat National Park

Antara 29 Jan 16;

Bengkulu (ANTARA News) - The Natural Resource Conservation Agency (BKSDA) of Bengkulu Province is planning to build a training and rehabilitation center for Sumatran tigers in the Seblat Natural Park in North Bengkulu District.

Head of BKSDA of Bengkulu, Anggoro Dwi Sujiarto, stated here on Friday that the center will be used to familiarize quarantined Sumatran tigers to their habitat before being released into the forest.

"For instance, if released directly, will not be able to adapt in the wild and then die or trespass into the villages," Sujiarto explained. Giring is a quarantined tiger at that area.

The Seblat National Park is 7,737 hectares wide and already has a tiger cage measuring 25 square meters.

The authority will build another similar cage at the location.

A two-hectare area in front of the cage will serve as an enclosure for the tigers to wander outside.

After the tiger becomes familiar with the forest and stops depending on rations, the rehabilitation process is considered to be complete, and the big cat can then be released into its habitat.

Besides the tiger rehabilitation center, there is also an elephant training center in the national park.

The construction of the new tiger rehabilitation center is expected to start soon this year.

(Reporting by Boyke LW/Uu.A059/INE/KR-BSR/H-YH)

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Indonesia: WWF identifies and documents 29 orangutans in Sebangau National Park

Antara 29 Jan 16;

Palangkaraya (ANTARA News) - The World Wide-Life Fund for Nature (WWF), in cooperation with the people in Punggualas village, Palangkaraya, Central Kalimantan, has identified and documented 29 orangutans in the Sebangau National Park.

"During the period between March and December 2015, we have already identified 29 orangutans, of which five were adult females and babies, while the other eight were adult males," WWF coordinator for the Conservation of Sebangau National Park, Okta Simon, stated here on Friday.

The documentation process first began with the search for the orangutans and then moved on to maintaining physical and habitual records of them, which encompassed their social behavior, diet, and the types of sounds they produced.

During the process, the WWF team regularly monitored the day-to-day activities of the orangutans for 10 consecutive days starting from 4 a.m. local time in the morning when the orangutans awoke and continued through the day while they foraged and nested until the time they went to sleep at 5 p.m. local time.

"We decided to restrict this process to ten days in keeping with the concept of conservation, and the point was to ensure that they stayed wild. If the process prolonged for more than ten days, they would have become familiar with the people who followed them," Simon pointed out.

The WWF team comprising four to five people captured pictures of every orangutan to ascertain their identities.

If any of the orangutans were yet to be identified, the team would then designate names to them to facilitate easy identification.

The involvement of the local people during the identification process was important as the Punggualas village is considered to be one of the ecotourism destinations in Palangkaraya.

The area has also become one of the largest orangutan pockets in the world.

"Gaining a comprehensive knowledge about orangutans is a must for the local people, so that they could help in guiding the local or foreign tourists during their visit," Simon stated.

Currently, there are some 33 thousand to 35 thousand orangutans in Central Kalimantan and are considered to be an endangered species.

(Reported by Mentari Dwi Gayati/Uu.Y013/INE/KR-BSR/A014)

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Indonesia: Heavy rain, floods seen across Sumatra

Jon Afrizal and Rizal Harahap, The Jakarta Post 29 Jan 16;

Floods triggered by heavy downpours have continued to spread in Sumatra over the past few days, with the latest incidents isolating thousands of villagers in Jambi and affecting hundreds of others in Aceh.

In Merangin regency, Jambi, 1,200 residents of Tanjung Berugo subdistrict, Lembah Masurai district, were cut off early on Thursday after a flash flood from the overflowing Incin River swept away the only bridge connecting the village with surrounding areas.

The flood hit at 3 a.m. local time after a series of heavy downpours and immediately swept away the 20-meter bridge.

Local resident Abdullah said villagers therefore could not flee when the flash flood took place.

“I was shocked to see the bridge disappear after being hit by the flash flood,” Abdullah said on Thursday over the phone.

Meanwhile in Aceh, flooding has been seen across Aceh Besar following prolonged heavy rain in the regency’s mountainous areas.

The local administration recorded that the floods began on Tuesday evening. At least five villages in Seulimeum and Lembah Seulawah districts have so far been affected by the disaster, which has inundated hundreds of houses in the areas.

“Beureunuen village is so far one of the worst-hit areas, with flood waters reaching up to 2 meters,” National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said on Wednesday.

Sutopo said local disaster mitigation agencies had set up public kitchens and temporary shelters for affected residents.

In Riau, four villages in Kampar Kiri Hulu district, Kampar regency, which had been cut off since November because of floods and landslides, could finally be reached overland from the district capital.

“Although land transportation has yet to fully recover, at least access has reopened,” Riau Social Affairs Agency head Syafruddin said on Thursday.

Around 3,000 families in the villages struggled to survive for more than two months after the natural disasters cut transportation links.

Separately, Kampar Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) head Santoso said he had submitted a proposal to the BNPB to restore the damaged road and increase aid for residents in the four villages.

“We have reported the situation in the four villages and the BNPB has approved giving Rp 200 million [US$14,800] for the provision of foodstuffs and clearing the road buried by the landslide,” he said.

After a prolonged dry season, the rainy season finally arrived in many parts of the country last month.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned that several areas, including North Sumatra, West Sumatra, Bengkulu, Jambi and South Sumatra, could be prone to flooding on account of heavy downpours.

Meanwhile, other regions, including Bengkulu, Aceh, southern parts of West Java, parts of Central Java and West Nusa Tenggara, were said to be prone to landslides.

Last month, more than a dozen villagers in Lebong Tandai, North Bengkulu, were killed when a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall hit their homes as they slept.

akartans warned about peak rainfall
Dewanti A. Wardhani, The Jakarta Post 29 Jan 16;

The Jakarta administration is preparing for the peak of the rainy season, which is expected to occur from Feb. 22 to 28, drawing up a contingency plan in readiness for any flooding.

Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) spokesman Harry Tirto said this year’s rainy season peak was slightly later than last year, which fell at the end of January. “The peak of the rainy season is usually from early January to mid February. However, this year will be slightly later due to the long El Niño,” Harry said by phone on Thursday.

He explained that the precipitation would also be slightly less compared with 2015. The precipitation in 2015 was 400 millimeters to 500 mm per month during the peak of the rainy season, while this year it is expected to be about 300 to 400 mm per month, a high precipitation level. The BMKG categorizes low rainfall intensity as between 0-100 mm per month, mid-level is between 101-300 mm and a very high level is above 401 mm.

“However, we should not let our guard down because the peak of the rainy season has yet to start,” Harry said.

According to data from the Jakarta Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) 34 subdistricts across the five municipalities are considered prone to flooding and need special attention. Those subdistricts were heavily flooded during the rainy seasons of the past three years.

“The peak of the rainy season is expected to begin on Feb. 22. Therefore, the 34 flood-prone subdistricts must participate in our contingency plan starting Feb. 12,” city secretary Saefullah said during a meeting with working units at City Hall on Thursday.

He said that he demanded full participation by relevant officials and staff, who are expected to delay taking leave until March 2016.

Saefullah said all subdistrict heads must begin preparing necessities for the peak of the rainy season. The seven necessities, he went on, were rescue facilities, health needs, logistics, locations for evacuation, facilities and infrastructure for evacuation, education and participation by residents.

Relevant working units, such as the BPBD, Social Agency, Health Agency and Education Agency must directly coordinate with subdistrict heads.

Saefullah explained that all subdistrict heads must report on the preparedness of their seven necessities to their district heads by 12 p.m. each day starting Feb. 12. The district heads must further report preparations in the subdistricts to municipal offices by 1 p.m.

“The reports must be submitted every day from Feb. 12 to Feb. 21. We expect all relevant officials who are directly responsible for any aspect of our plan to be present in their offices during the month of February and they may not participate in activities outside of Jakarta,” he said.

Separately, West Jakarta’s Duri Kosambi subdistrict head Irwansyah said that he had begun to list all flood-prone areas. “There are at least 12 areas in the Duri Kosambi subdistrict that are prone to flooding. The subdistrict is located near the Angke River, which often overflows. During heavy rains, flooding can reach up to 2 meters at worst,” Irwansyah told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the meeting.

He went on to say that the subdistrict had been identifying clogged drains and channels and had dispatched contract workers to clear the waterways.

Irwansyah added that he had also gathered residents in his area to inform them of the city administration’s flooding contingencies.

“It’s important to inform the residents so that they can begin preparing as well,” he said.

Read more!

Indonesia: Zika virus in Indonesia since 2015 -- researcher

thejakartapost.com 30 Jan 16;

The Zika virus has been in Jambi at least since 2015, a researcher has said. The virus was found in 2015 during an outbreak of dengue fever that hit the province from December 2014 to April 2015, said Eijkman Biological Molecular Institute deputy director Herawati Sudoyo as reported by kompas.com on Friday.

“It started during the dengue fever outbreak in Jambi. We were ordered to examine samples of blood from 103 patients. In one patient, we found the Zika virus in a sample of his blood,” said Herawati.

Zika is believed to have spread from Africa to Asia. Currently, Brazil is being hit by a Zika outbreak. The Associated Press has reported that the virus was spreading like wildfire thanks in part to the region's widespread poverty, equatorial heat and chronic infestations of the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, a mosquito that also spreads dengue fever.

The most common symptoms of Zika are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting for several days to a week.

Eijkman’s Frilasita Yudhaputri said the Jambi patient had never traveled abroad. Therefore, the institution concluded that the virus had been in the province for some.

“The finding was reported to the Health Ministry and was published in an international journal,” she added.

Frilasita believed the Zika virus had spread in Jambi together with dengue fever. She argued, therefore, that the government needed to prepare for the further possible spread of the virus.

Frilasita said the patient in Jambi was a 27-year-old man who had shown similar symptoms to patients in other Asian countries like Thailand. His symptoms differed, however, from the patients infected in Brazil.

“The best way to prevent the spread is to cut the vector cycle by killing mosquitoes,” she stressed.

Separately, Oscar Primadi, head of the Health Ministry’s communications and health service bureau, called on people not to panic.

Meanwhile, Wiendra Waworuntu, the ministry’s contagious disease prevention and monitoring director, called on residents to keep alert for the spread of larva and to avoid traveling to countries in the grip of a Zika virus outbreak. (bbn)

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Indonesia: Hundreds rally against Environmental Impact Analysis (Amdal) for Benoa Bay reclamation

thejakartapost.com 29 Jan 16;

Hundreds of people staged a rally on Friday against the issuance of an Environmental Impact Analysis (Amdal) on the Benoa Bay reclamation project.

The protesters, organized by several community groups, including ForBali, Bali Environment Forum, Jimbaran United and Pecatu Rejects Reclamation, conducted the rally in front of the Bali Governor's office in Denpasar, where a discussion on the project's Amdal was being held.

"We will continue to reject the reclamation efforts in the Benoa Bay," said ForBali coordinator I Wayan “Gendo” Suardana as quoted by kompas.com.

The protesters said the Benoa Bay area was home to at least 70 Hindu sacred places that had to be maintained and urged Bali Governor Mangku Pastika to join them in rejecting the project.

Police secured the location and closed down the road in front of the governor's office complex.

Hindus consider Benoa Bay a sacred area because of the presence of 60 natural sites, including 19 loloan (estuaries) and 17 muntig (small islands that emerge during low tide).

Locals are worried that the reclamation of at least 700 hectares of the bay for an integrated tourism development project proposed by a private developer will damage their sacred sites.

Presidential Regulation No. 51/2014 that approved the reclamation was issued by then-president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono several months before he left office.

The regulation has been criticized for allegedly skirting previous spatial planning bylaws by re-designating Benoa Bay as a business site from its previous status as an environmental buffer zone and green-belt area.

Previously, researcher Sugi Lanus said that despite the presidential regulation there were many regulations that had be considered, including the Bali Bylaw No. 16/2009 on spatial planning that banned any development in sacred areas. The bylaw was adopted from a religious edict issued by the Indonesian Parisadha Hindu Council (PHDI) in 1994. (liz/kes)(+)

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Zika Isn't the Only Virus Worsened by El Niño

This year might be a glimpse into the infectious world of the future.

LAURA BLISS CityLab 29 Jan 16;

The Zika virus outbreak "is now spreading explosively" across the Americas, with 3 to 4 million infections estimated for the region in the next year, as Mother Jones reported Thursday.

The infectious disease, which doctors suspect has caused an increase in microcephaly, is likely linked to this year’s El Niño, a global climate cycle characterized by a band of warm water in the equatorial Pacific. But the Zika virus isn’t the only public health concern El Niño brings. This year’s landscape of infectious disease might be a glimpse into a sicker future.

The Zika link to El Niño

The Zika virus is borne by Aedes aegypti, the same species of mosquito that carries yellow fever, dengue fever, and chikungunya. Virtually all mosquitoes thrive in humidity, and Aedes aegypti is no exception.

"One of the hallmarks of these mosquitoes is they like very clean water," Laurie Garrett, senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations, told Mother Jones. "So rainfall is perfect for them. If it creates puddles, or accumulates in tires or any sort of containers, that will be a breeding site."

El Niño has helped create ideal mosquito breeding conditions in Latin America. In late December, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, and other countries experienced the worst flooding in half a century, driving 150,000 people from their homes and killing at least 10. The region also experienced above-average warm temperatures in 2015. Warm temperatures can promote higher rates of mosquito-biting and accelerate the development of mosquito larvae.

For the same reasons, El Niño is likely linked to the surge in dengue fever that’s also being felt across Latin America—and in general, it helps drive the spread other infectious diseases globally.

How El Niño drives other infectious diseases

“All pathogens—viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites—are temperature-sensitive,” says Dr. Aaron Bernstein, Associate Director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard University. “They have differences in how they reproduce and they infect people and other animals based on the temperature they’re living at.”

El Niño’s warm temperatures and heavy rainfall are strongly linked with diseases of all kinds. As detailed in a textbook chapter on internal medicine that Bernstein authored, scientists accurately predicted outbreaks of Rift Valley fever several weeks prior to epidemics in East Africa during the 2006–2007 El Niño season. El Niño can also push up malaria incidence. Research in Colombia found that a 1°C temperature rise contributed to a 20 percent increase in new cases of malaria between 1960 and 2006. Dengue fever was also found to be strongly associated with the El Niño events of 1997–1998 and 2006–2007.

Waterborne diseases can also surge during El Niño years. Bernstein says that research has shown warmer temperatures in the Bay of Bengal seems to facilitate the reproduction of cholera bacteria.

If you’re feeling relieved that these outbreaks surge only during the occasional El Niño year, think again. For years, public health scientists have used El Niño events as a kind of natural experiment to investigate the occurrence of infectious disease in a world marked by warmer temperatures and more extreme weather worldwide—i.e., the conditions of climate change. Now, many scientists believe that climate change itself may be strengthening El Niño events in general.

Does that mean that Zika virus outbreaks will worsen as climate change progresses? Too early to say. It’s hard for scientists to model the exact extent to which climate change is affecting this year’s El Niño in particular, and not every disease will necessarily become more prevalent with climate change. Still, says Bernstein, “Given what we know about how infectious diseases spread with regards to temperature and precipitation, doing nothing about climate change doesn’t make sense.”

What humans can do

Even with the double-whammy of El Niño and climate change, there are public health measures humans can take to stem the tide of warm-weather-loving infectious disease.

Brazil, where the Zika virus outbreak began in 2015, is a good example of what not to do: There, a waning economy and a government corruption scandal have enfeebled an already deficient public health system. In turn, doctors and officials have struggled to effectively deal with the virus-carrying insects, as well as with thousands of babies born with microcephaly. "We were taken by surprise," Angela Rocha, a pediatrician and infectious disease specialist at the Oswaldo Cruz University in Recife, told Reuters. Wednesday, the country’s top health official acknowledged that Brazil was “badly losing the battle” against mosquito-borne infectious diseases.

The situation highlights the need for strong public health services and proactive vaccine development. "With Zika and Ebola, we're returning to a time that's similar to the 1940s before we had polio and rubella and other vaccines,” Peter Hotez, founding dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, told U.S. News. “It's a terrible feeling of vulnerability.”

U.S. officials have said that a vaccine for the Zika virus may not be available for years—although a Canadian vaccine developer said Friday that one could be ready for emergency use before the end of 2016.

Now, doctors in Latin America are saying that they suspect microcephaly is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to neurological birth defects caused by the Zika virus. “We’re dramatically underestimating what’s at stake for public health with this,” says Bernstein. But on the bright side, “we still have a tremendous amount of power right now to substantially reduce the risks.”

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The Earth Is Becoming a Plastic Planet

Emily J. Gertz, Takepart.com Yahoo News 29 Jan 16;

Geologists sometimes label periods in Earth’s ancient history for the layers of minerals that formed at the time.

The Cretaceous references the Latin word for “chalk” for the fossilized calcium carbonate remains of countless shellfish that sank to the seafloor 146 to 66 million years ago. The Carboniferous is named for vast deposits of carbon-rich coal that formed between about 359 and 299 million years ago.

Our era? A new study argues that future geologists will label it the “Age of Plastic,” because since the 1950s the human-made material has become one of the most widely and abundantly deposited substances on Earth.

“A lot of geological time is fairly dull, despite the occasional volcanic eruption—whereas this is quite a change,” said study co-author Jan Zalasiewicz, a geologist at the University of Leicester.

Plastic is “a signal of any kind of sediment deposited in the last half-century or so,” he said, “a marker of the Anthropocene, this great change in almost everything that’s taken place since the Second World War.”

The researchers found that enough plastic has been manufactured since the mid-20th century to cover the Earth in a single layer of plastic wrap, and that barring a big change in current trends, by 2050 there will about 40 billion tons of plastic on Earth—enough to wrap the planet six times over.

The study was published in the journal Anthropocene, a term scientists increasingly use to refer to the present time because humans have become the dominant force shaping the planet’s environment.

Plastic objects do decompose to some extent, leaving behind fossil-like traces that geologists have termed “techno fossils.” “So if one simply takes plastic and buries it, away from sunlight and erosion, it will leave a mark in the rocks of the future,” Zalasiewic said. “I have no doubt that we will leave a layer that, looked at by anybody from the far future, show fossilized plastic bottles and all the other things we make from plastic.”

The researchers found there is almost nowhere left on Earth where plastic has not been deposited by wind or water.

More than 330 million tons of plastic are produced a year, or about 88 pounds for each of the world’s 7 billion people—roughly the weight of the global population. The qualities of plastic that make it so useful—its light weight, durability, flexibility, and resistance to decay—also contribute to plastic’s remarkable ubiquity in the environment.

The study found that less than 5 percent of plastic produced in the United States is recycled, while in Europe the amount was likely under 20 percent.

“One of the things that came as a surprise to me was when people have looked at Arctic ice, they found microplastics, particularly fibers of rayon,” said Zalasiewicz, noting that a single cigarette butt contains about 10,000 rayon fibers. (Cigarette butts are among the most frequently found plastic trash on beaches.)

The study estimated that at the current pace of polar sea ice melt, over one trillion bits of microplastic could enter the marine environment in the next ten years from the Arctic alone.

“When the ice melts, that plastic will travel, and eventually wind up some beach, or the bottom of the sea,” he said. “A lot of it will pass through plankton and fish and sea birds—it will biologically cycle as well as being caught up in the sedimentary cycle, on a global scale.”

A growing body of research has documented widespread harm to wildlife caused by marine plastic pollution—and also suggests that the material is working its way up the food chain. A 2015 study estimated that tens of thousands of animals had encountered marine plastic, including endangered marine mammals, sea birds, and sea turtles. Another found that one in four fish consumed by humans likely contains plastic debris.

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Intact nature offers best defense against climate change

Wildlife Conservation Society ScienceDaily 29 Jan 16;

Summary: Worldwide responses to climate change could leave people worse off in the future according to a recent study. The paper discusses how certain adaptation strategies may have a negative impact on nature which in turn will impact people in the long-term.

Worldwide responses to climate change could leave people worse off in the future according to a recent study conducted by CSIRO, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the University of Queensland.

The paper, "Intact ecosystems provide the best defense against climate change," published in Nature Climate Change, discusses how certain adaptation strategies may have a negative impact on nature which in turn will impact people in the long-term.

"In response to climate change, many local communities around the world are rapidly adjusting their livelihood practices to cope with climate change, sometimes with catastrophic implications for nature," according to CSIRO's principal research scientist Dr. Tara Martin.

The authors say that in Australia and Canada, conservation reserves are being used as drought relief to feed livestock, while forests in the Congo Basin in Africa are being cleared for agriculture in response to drought, and coral reefs are being destroyed to build sea walls from the low-lying islands in Melanesia.

Dr. Martin added: "These are just few of the human responses to climate change that, if left unchallenged, may leave us worse off in the future due to their impacts on nature. Functioning and intact, forests, grasslands, wetlands and coral reefs represent our greatest protection against floods and storms."

The paper states that intact native forests have been shown to reduce the frequency and severity of floods, while coral reefs can reduce wave energy by an average of 97 per cent, providing a more cost-effective defense from storm surges than engineered structures.

Likewise, coastal ecosystems such as mangroves and tidal marshes are proving to be a more cost-effective and ecologically sound alternative to buffering storms than conventional coastal engineering solutions.

Co-author Dr James Watson, a lead scientist with WCS and Principle Research Fellow at the University of Queensland, said that with more than 100 million people per year at risk from increasing floods and tropical cyclones, ill-conceived adaptation measures that destroy the ecosystems, which offer our most effective and inexpensive line of defense, must be avoided.

"The cost of adaptation to climate change could reach 100 billion per year in the coming decades but this is small change when we consider the environmental and economic fallout from not using nature to help us cope with climate change," said Dr. Watson.

Dr. Watson added: "If we consider another perverse mechanism contributing to climate change, fossil fuel subsidies, it is small change. A recent report by the International Monetary Fund estimates global energy subsidies for 2015 at $US5.3 trillion per year. Eliminating fossil fuel subsidies would slash global carbon emission by 20 percent and raise government revenue by 2.9 trillion, well over the funds needed for intelligent policy and action on climate adaptation."

"Fortunately some adaptation strategies are being developed that do not destroy nature, some of which are even ecosystem-based. The protection and restoration of mangrove forests that is actively funded by agencies such as USAID is a prime example," Dr. Watson said.

Journal Reference:

Tara G. Martin, James E. M. Watson. Intact ecosystems provide best defence against climate change. Nature Climate Change, 2016; 6 (2): 122 DOI: 10.1038/nclimate2918

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Best of our wild blogs: 29 Jan 16

Science – Shell trade pushes giant clams to the brink
Neo Mei Lin

Asian Waterbirds Census 2016
Singapore Bird Group

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NEA could appoint volunteers as auxiliary officers

This is one of the proposed changes to the National Environment Agency (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill introduced in Parliament on Thursday.
Faris Mokhtar Channel NewsAsia 29 Jan 16;

SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) could soon appoint volunteers to be auxiliary officers tasked to carry out enforcement actions.

This is one of the proposed changes to the National Environment Agency (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill introduced in Parliament on Thursday (Jan 28).

Individuals appointed to be auxiliary officers need not be from the public service. Auxiliary officers could also be given certain powers, currently held by NEA officers or employees.

Another proposed change is to grant NEA's officers or employees more powers. They could be allowed to photograph or record the scene of any offences under the National Environment Agency Act.

The Bill will be read again at the next Parliament sitting.

- CNA/ms

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Govt does not monitor Temasek, GIC's investments in haze-linked firms: MOF

Mr Heng Swee Keat, Singapore’s Finance Minister, says that commercial decisions by GIC and Temasek Holdings are made independent of state involvement.
Channel NewsAsia 28 Jan 16;

SINGAPORE: The Government only monitors the performance of haze-linked companies that sovereign wealth fund GIC and investment firm Temasek Holdings have investments in, said finance minister Heng Swee Keat, and not their commercial decisions.

Nonetheless, both are fully supportive of zero-burning policies for land clearance, he said.

"GIC has also the Government that the palm oil companies in Indonesia that GIC invests in have confirmed that they observe zero-burning policies for their plantations. GIC’s investment teams engage actively with the companies’ management and highlight that such responsible actions are important for maintaining the long-term value of the companies," said Mr Heng in a written answer to queries by Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) Leon Perera of the opposition Workers’ Party.

Temasek has stated that it fully supports zero-burning policies for land clearance, and would urge palm oil companies and plantation owners to do the same, the Finance Minister added.

Mr Heng also noted that with GIC and Temasek’s investment activities seeking long-term, sustainable returns, investing in companies with environmentally unsustainable practices could negatively impact the commercial value of the investments over the long term.

“The individual investments of GIC and Temasek are the responsibility of their respective management teams, while the Government monitors the performance of their overall portfolio,” said Mr Heng.

“GIC and Temasek operate on a purely commercial basis in order to maximise long-term risk-adjusted returns, and the individual investment decisions are fully independent of any Government interference or influence.”

“This is an important governance principle that we seek to maintain."

- CNA/jo

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Malaysia: Help with probe on consumption of turtle eggs, leaders urged

The Star 29 Jan 16;

KOTA KINABALU: All those questioned by authorities in connection with the investigation into consumption of turtle eggs have been urged to give their full cooperation, including ministers.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said everyone, including ministers and local leaders, were not above the law and should give their cooperation.

This issue caught the public’s attention after photographs of eggs served at a restaurant during a function went viral on social media last November.

Photographs showed Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Beluran Umno chief Datuk James Ratib seated at a table with a plate of turtle eggs, some already consumed, in front of them.

Masidi said coming forward to give a statement was not a sign of guilt.

“Don’t worry, just come forward and assist the Wildlife Department so that they can solve this case as soon as possible,” he said after launching Sabah’s newest radio station – KupiKupiFM – here yesterday.

Masidi was commenting on a recent news report alleging that ministers involved in the case were not cooperating with investigators.

“The authorities just want to get as many witnesses and information as possible so they can zero in on the culprits and solve this case,” he said, adding that there was no reason for anyone to delay giving their statements.


Fourteen in Sabah questioned over turtle egg dish so far
RUBEN SARIO The Star 2 Feb 16;

KOTA KINABALU: Fourteen people have been questioned so far over a dinner attended by a federal minister in Sandakan last year where turtle eggs were served.

State Wildlife Department director William Baya said they wanted to record the statement of Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob, but only after meeting local leaders who were at the dinner last November.

"We have yet to issue any letter or contact the minister to get his statement because of logistical issues since he is in Kuala Lumpur," William said.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said Ismail was not a target of the investigation, but they wanted to record his statement.

The department launched a probe after photographs were posted on social media showing Ismail at an Umno division dinner at a seafood restaurant together with Beluran Umno chief Datuk James Ratib.

A plate of what appeared to be at least two dozen turtle eggs were seen on the table before them.

Turtles are protected under the Sabah Wildlife Enactment 1997.

It is an offence to be in possession of the animals or their products, such as eggs, and those convicted are liable to a fine of RM50,000, five years' imprisonment or both.

The photographs, which went viral on social media, sparked an outcry among conservationists here.

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Malaysia: Wildlife officers save village and elephants

T. AVINESHWARAN The Star 29 Jan 16;

LENGGONG: Folks in Kampung Luat can breathe easier after the Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) caught two wild elephants that were lurking in their village for almost a week.

Twenty-five people from the department’s National Elephant Conservation Centre and Elephant Transportation Unit caught the two male Asian elephants on Tuesday.

The elephants were said to be stranded, believed left behind by their herd.

One of them was transferred to the Royal Belum State Park yesterday while the other will be sent there on Saturday. The remaining elephant is now being held in a cage at the village.

State Perhilitan director Rozaidan Md Yasin, who monitored the whole process, said the elephants – both about 15 years old – were from the Piah Forest Reserve.

“There are 12 elephants in the forest reserve. These two were stranded,” he said.

Two trained elephants from the National Elephant Conservation Centre that helped to transfer the wild elephant into the truck were the show stealers.

Abut and Rambai, both female Asian elephants, calmed the wild elephant during the transfer process. They even allowed villagers and reporters to take pictures with them later.

At one point, the wild elephant tried to break loose when one of the workers sprayed something on its leg and it moved its trunk towards the worker. The worker managed to move away in time while one of the trained elephants calmed it down.

Kampung Luat village chief Ahmad Bakri Ariffin, 52, said the people in the village could not go to the rubber and palm oil plantations as they were afraid they would be attacked by the wild elephants.

“Some of the villagers would come across the wild elephants in their farms but the two did not attack them.

“On Jan 18, we reported to Perhilitan and on Jan 19, they came down to monitor the whereabouts of the elephants and they caught them two days ago,” he said.

Speculating on how the wild elephants got stranded, he said: “Piah Forest Reserve is 5km from our village. Some elephants will get lost because they can’t catch up with their group.”

One of the villagers, Mohd Taharin Mat Hashim, 56, recalled how on midnight of Jan 17, he heard some noise at his rubber plantation and knew it was elephants.

“They were behind my house. I told my family not to come out from their house.

“We could not see them at night but the noise was obvious.

“In the morning when we saw elephant faeces in my plantation and behind my house, I immediately alerted our village chief,” he said, adding that parts of his plantation were damaged by their rampaging.

According to World Wildlife Foundation (WWF), the increasing human population in Asia has affected the elephant’s dense but diminishing forest habitat.

Perhilitan said only 1,200 to 1,500 elephants were left in Malaysia and they were considered an endangered species.

Wild elephant relocated
RAHMAT KHAIRULRIJAL New Straits Times 28 Jan 16;

LENGGONG: The state Wildlife and National Parks Department (Perhilitan) has successfully relocated one of two wild elephants which were captured at Kampung Luak near here last week.

The pachyderm was relocated to an undisclosed location in Royal Belum State Park today.

Perhilitan director Rozidan Mohd Yasin said the department began tracking the elephants last week following complaints by villagers.

“We brought in two female elephants to guide it into a lorry before moving them," he said.

A total of 20 officers, including those from Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary, were involved in the three-hour relocation process that began at 10am.

“The duo are believed to be between 15 and 20 years old.

They were part of a 12-member herd, which had been sighted roaming in the nearby Piah Forest Reserve,” he said after the relocation process here.

He said another elephant, which was a bit aggressive, would be relocated on Saturday.

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