Best of our wild blogs: 26 Jun 16

Mass coral bleaching at Pulau Tekukor
wild shores of singapore

Butterfly Photography at Our Local Parks - Fusionopolis North
Butterflies of Singapore

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Rare sighting of endangered Malayan tapir at Changi

Chew Hui Min, Straits Times AsiaOne 26 Jun 16;

A tapir was seen near the coast at Changi at about 4.30am on June 24, 2016.


Photo: Lianhe Wanbao reader

SINGAPORE - A Malayan tapir was spotted in Changi on Friday (June 24) morning in a rare sighting of the endangered animal.

The herbivore is known for having a distinctive white patch round its middle, and a black head, shoulders and hind quarters .

In a blurry photo taken by a Lianhe Zaobao reader at about 4.30am on Friday, the tapir is seen trotting alongside a metal fence.

Ms Anbarasi Boopal, deputy chief executive of Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres), said that it received a call about the sighting but the animal was "not in view" by then.

"We are keeping this case in view and hope that the tapir managed to swim to safety," she told The Straits Times.

As tapirs are not found in Singapore, it is possible that it swam over from southern Johor, said Mr Marcus Chua, Museum Officer for Mammal Biodiversity at the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum.

The last sighting of a tapir in Singapore was on Pulau Ubin in 1986.

"It could be looking for new territory or pushed out of habitat because of development," said Mr Chua.

The tapir sighting is "extremely rare for Singapore", he added.

The nocturnal animal is dependent on the rainforest habitat. It feeds mostly on leaves, which it can grab using its prehensile snout.

It can be found in Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, and Southern Thailand, and is globally endangered, mainly due to habitat loss.

There are only about 1,500 to 2,000 in Malaysia according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

While the tapir looks like a wild boar with a longer snout, it is more closely related to horses and rhinos.


Malayan tapir spotted roaming around in Singapore
The Star 26 Jun 16;

PETALING JAYA: A Malayan tapir appears to be seeking its 15-minute of fame like Chickaboo the ostrich when it was seen roaming near the coast of Changi in Singapore.

It made the news in Lianhe Zaobao, a Chinese newspaper in the republic, which reported yesterday that the nocturnal animal was seen running alongside a fence at a land reclamation area at around 4.30am on Friday.

When someone called Singapore’s Animal Concerns and Education Society, the animal had already disappeared into the sea.

A reader of Lianhe Zaobao captured the rare sighting on camera and passed the image to the daily.

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum researcher Marcus Chua Aik Hwee believed the herbivore had swum across the strait from southern Johor to Singapore.

“Tapirs are good swimmers and solitary creatures. This one might have taken a short rest at Tekong Island, or just swam straight to Singapore, I guess,” he told Lianhe Zaobao.

Chua said the rapid development in the region could have also forced the endangered animal to come out from its habitat.

Those who come across such animals should keep their distance and immediately inform animal protection organisations, he advised.

“Tapirs live in the forest. They are shy. Usually, they will not cause any harm to human,” he added.

It is believed that there are no wild tapirs in Singapore.

Its last sighting was in 1986 when residents spotted a pair on Pulau Ubin.

One of the four tapir species in the world, the main threat facing the Malayan tapir in peninsular Malaysia is agricultural land clearing and deforestation.

Between 2010 and last year, 68 Malayan tapirs were rescued in Malaysia while 54 were victims of road accidents in the past 10 years.

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Uncertainty growing in Singapore countryside as farmers are told to move

Audrey Tan and Yuen Sin, Straits Times 26 Jun 16;

Moving may be troublesome for many, but for farmers with bulky equipment and thousands of animals or crops in tow, the process can be downright painful.

Yet, farmers in Singapore tell The Sunday Times that if they have to move, they will, as long as they have the assurance that it will benefit them and the agriculture industry as a whole.

"We need to know that there is a plan, a direction. Are we moving blindly or would the move improve infrastructure and boost the industry?" says Mr Kenny Eng, president of the Kranji Countryside Association (KCA) that represents about 40 farms, many of which are family businesses.

Fourteen of its members, including goat farm Hay Dairies and Jurong Frog Farm, are among the 62 farms in an area in Lim Chu Kang which will be redeveloped to make way for the Defence Ministry's new training grounds. They were told earlier this month that they have to move out by the end of 2019.

The deadline had initially been June next year, but the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) pushed it back 2½ years to give farms more time.

Affected farmers will have the option of bidding for new farm land early next year, but the exact details of the location and size of the new plots available have yet to be announced.

With many questions going unanswered, uncertainty is looming large over Singapore's idyllic countryside, where farmers feel they are ploughing a lonely furrow at keeping their businesses and passions afloat.

One of those affected, 50-year- old quail farmer William Ho, is already considering a change. He says: "It may be too expensive to be a farmer after the move, but I can be a nature guide - children always enjoy hearing about my quails."

UNSUITABLE LAND

The Jurong Frog Farm, contrary to what many expect, smells surprisingly fresh. Its director Ms Chelsea Wan, 32, says the constant supply of running water from a well and reservoir within the farm helps.

But such amenities may not be available at the new site.

In fact, Ms Wan says the move might entail her farm moving into a factory, where frogs will be reared "without ever feeling sunshine or rain".

This is a no-no for the true-blue farmer, or the frog princess, as she is known in farming circles.

"We could work with our suppliers and establish farms overseas; we may just end up focusing on the factory packaging frog products.

"But we have family here in Singapore and it is less than ideal to have a farm overseas," says Ms Wan, who has an eight-month-old son.

For vegetable farmers, the quality of soil at the new site matters too.

As vegetable farmer from Farm 85, Mr Tan Koon Hua, 48, puts it: "The quality of soil is essential to how crops turn out - it can't be contaminated with waste or contain many stones. We also have to cope with the extreme changes in weather patterns of late."

COSTS

Mr Ho, who is co-owner of Lian Wah Hang Quail and Poultry Farm, says the possible move could cost him about $10 million, including spending on infrastructure at the new site, such as power supply and a new slaughterhouse and processing plant that will allow him to scale up his enterprise and stay commercially viable.

Over at Hay Dairies, business director Leon Hay, 38, says that building double-storeyed barns to house his 1,000 goats would alone cost about $6 million. The layers are necessary because the new plot could be at least 50 per cent smaller than its current 2ha, he adds.

It could take between three and five years for the structure to be built, and another 10 years before investment costs can be recuperated, excluding any interests on loans, he says.

With the 20-year lease period announced by the AVA earlier this month, that leaves the firm about seven years to start making a profit, and only after at least 13 years of effort.

Mr Eng says: "If farms are given more flexibility to diversify revenue sources, they have a better chance to thrive in a challenging environment and, in turn, invest more in their core business of food production.

"Also, while production is important, creating the market and demand is just as important. Agri-tourism and agritainment contribute immeasurably to that."

LEASES

Earlier this month, AVA decided to go back to the original lease period of 20 years after getting feedback from farmers that the 10-year tenure, with a possible 10-year extension announced in 2014, was too short for investing in automation.

AVA chief executive Tan Poh Hong had said then that the longer 20-year lease tenure would provide more certainty to farms and allow them to invest in intensive, highly productive technologies that operate on minimal manpower.

The news was welcomed by farmers but, even then, they said the prospect of repeating the cycle of bidding for a new plot and building new structures every 20 years was a daunting one.

Farmers say an increase in productivity could be achieved in other ways besides automation. They are trying to innovate by coming up with new concepts and products.

At the frog farm, for instance, one new product is bottled hashima, the oviducts of mature female frogs that has the same "beautifying properties" as bird's nest, says Ms Wan.

They are also trying to attract young people into the sector, to avoid becoming a sunset industry.

This is done by coming up with fresh concepts that combine both agriculture and entertainment, such as farm visits and tours.

They also launched the Farmers' Market, the seventh edition of which will continue today between noon and 5pm at the Nyee Phoe Flower Garden.

Ensuring the longevity of the farms beyond their leases could benefit more than just the farmers.

As Hay Dairies visitor and financing manager, Madam Priscilla Chong, 41, told The Sunday Times last week: "It is good to keep the farms. Without them, children may have to go to farms in Malaysia or Australia, or even the wet market, to learn about animals."

Young farmers keen, but there are doubts

They are young, without a tan and business savvy: Meet the second-generation farmers of today who are redefining what it means to be farmers by looking beyond simply raising livestock.

But despite their passion and innovation, farmers like Jurong Frog Farm's "frog princess" Chelsea Wan may eventually have to trade their wellingtons for more office-appropriate footwear.

The Jurong Frog Farm is one of the 62 farms in Lim Chu Kang which will have to clear out by 2019.

Although the farm's 32-year-old director hopes to continue her father's legacy, she says there is still too much uncertainty about the future of the agricultural sector.

"Even if we manage to secure another plot of land then, what will happen 20 years later? By that time, I will be 56 and structurally unemployed. Who would hire me then? " asked the National University of Singapore graduate.

This is not for the lack of trying, though. Young farmers like Ms Wan are often on the lookout for ways to boost productivity, such as through automation, for example.

They are also injecting a breath of fresh air into the sector by trying out new products and concepts, such as farm tours, to draw the crowds to Singapore's rustic countryside in the north-west.

Ms Wan, for instance, considered how the entire frog - instead of just the legs, a la frog leg porridge - could be consumed. Her answer: hashima, essentially the oviducts of adult female frogs. Some people are willing to pay up to $105 per tael (50g) for it.

At the neighbouring Hay Dairies, business director Leon Hay, 38, sells not only goat's milk, but also the chance to see live goats by taking groups on farm tours. Hay Dairies, Singapore's only goat farm, is also affected by the 2019 deadline.

Still, all the young farmers' efforts at diversification and innovation may come to naught if farms are forced to move every 20 years - a costly affair.

On whether he would bid for the new farm plots come 2019, Mr Hay told The Sunday Times: "I am willing to use my retirement savings for the move, if there is a future for the industry."

Farmer and son hope to develop business further

Mr Tan Koon Hua, 48, director of Farm 85 Trading, takes quiet pride in growing leafy crops such as bok choy and kang kong on his vegetable farms.

His son Liang Zhong, 21, is as old as he was when he first started out in farming more than 20 years ago, and eager to learn the trade. But Mr Tan is reluctant to hand over the reins. Out of his five farms, three totalling 10ha in Lim Chu Kang have been affected by redevelopment plans, and he feels the outlook for the industry remains uncertain.

"My son is very interested in farming, but I am worried that he may end up suffering," he said in Mandarin. "I can train him so the trade can flourish. But the policy direction for the local farming industry is still unclear. If he joins me, he might be spending time learning something that will be wasted."

Mr Tan has been trying to improve business efficiency and quality, and said farmers are not just concerned about the relocation, but also the longer- term outlook. Every day, his farms produce seven to 10 tonnes of leafy vegetables, which are distributed to supermarkets and wholesalers. He has developed a tool that allows seeds to be sown with sufficient distance between each plant, which eases harvesting and ensures scarce land is utilised well. Since 2012, the farms have also reduced the use of chemical fertiliser by scaling up the production of their own organic fertiliser made out of compost.

Mr Tan hopes there will be more dialogue between farmers and the authorities so that the needs of the industry can be better communicated.

Besides soil quality and availability of water at the relocated farms, there are also rising manpower costs and changes in weather patterns in the light of climate change to contend with.

"We want to coordinate well with the authorities so that the journey ahead for the industry will be a smooth one, and ensure that there will be Singaporeans who can produce food for the country," he said.

Mr Liang Zhong, who has just completed national service and is helping his father out at the farm, said: "I will try my best to continue his work, but we need the assurance from the Government that this industry is here to stay so that we can further develop and invest in the business. "

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Transboundary haze law do permit extraterritorial jurisdiction in some cases

S. Jayakumar and Tommy Koh, Straits Times AsiaOne 25 Jun 16;

In 2014, Singapore enacted the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, which came into force on Sept 25, 2014. Essentially, the Act makes it an offence for any entity to engage in conduct, or to condone conduct, causing or contributing to haze pollution in Singapore. Apart from criminal liability, the Act also creates statutory duties and civil liabilities.

The Act is unusual but not unprecedented in targeting conduct that occurs outside Singapore, and which causes or contributes to haze pollution in Singapore.

Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, speaking in Parliament in August 2014, said the Act "is not intended to replace the laws and enforcement actions of other countries, but it is to complement the efforts of other countries to hold companies to account". He added that "we, in Singapore, cannot simply wait and wishfully hope that the problem will be resolved on its own. The Singapore Government would want to send a strong signal that we will not tolerate the actions of errant companies that harm our environment and put at risk the health of our citizens".

EXTRATERRITORIALITY AND INTERNATIONAL LAW

There were mixed reactions to this law in Indonesia. Some parties expressed support for Singapore's law. Others, including some Indonesian ministers, criticised the law on the grounds that it was a violation of Indonesia's sovereignty. A typical comment was: "As it happened in Indonesia, it is part of Indonesia's jurisdiction. If Singapore could easily try Indonesian citizens, it could be a violation of Indonesia's sovereignty."

The Singapore Government responded that the law was consistent with international law. It was drafted with the advice of international law experts and did not violate the sovereignty of any country.

The issue is whether it is permissible for a country to enact legislation that would have extraterritorial reach. The answer to this question turns on a proper understanding of the established principles of international law.

The general principle in international law is that states exercise jurisdiction on a territorial basis, namely, over persons, property and acts within its territory. However, there are exceptions to this principle.

One exception is a group of crimes that attract universal jurisdiction. Examples are piracy, genocide, torture, slavery, crimes against humanity and serious war crimes. For instance, under this exception, it is permissible for an Indonesian or Singapore court to try persons accused of committing piracy, such as Somali pirates, even if the acts of piracy occurred outside their respective maritime jurisdictions.

Another exception involves crimes committed outside a state's territory but which have harmful effects on the state concerned.

There are many examples, including bribery and corruption, terrorism, cybercrimes and cyber attacks and pollution. Such an exercise of extraterritorial jurisdiction can be justified under several principles of international law, notably the "objective territoriality principle".

To argue that states cannot exercise such jurisdiction would mean that states are powerless to deal with a variety of situations where individuals, groups and corporations can, with impunity, carry out acts outside their territories which have harmful effects and consequences on them.

INTERDEPENDENT WORLD

Indeed, the United Nations International Law Commission (ILC) 2006 Report stated that "today, the exercise of extraterritorial jurisdiction by a state with respect to persons, property or acts outside its territory has become an increasingly common phenomenon".

The ILC said this phenomenon is due largely to increased movements of persons beyond national borders, the growing number of multinational corporations, globalising of the world economy, increased transnational criminal activities, increased illegal migration and increased use of the Internet for legal or illegal purposes.

To that, we will add the growing interdependence between nations, and the undeniable fact that we live in a fragile environmental ecosystem, where harmful polluting activities in one country can cause serious harm, not only to its own people but to the people of other countries. The nature of transboundary offences necessarily means that multiple states do have a legitimate interest in bringing the offenders to justice.

It cannot therefore be said that any of these states would be acting in contravention of the offending state's sovereignty by enforcing its own laws. Such a violation of sovereignty would arise in some cases, such as, for example, if a state were to send its firefighters into the territory of another state, without its consent, to put out a fire.

Clearly, Singapore's legislation does not seek to do this. The law is enforced only when the party accused of causing the harmful act enters Singapore and comes within Singapore's jurisdiction.

We should add that Indonesia itself has enacted laws that have extraterritorial reach, such as its laws on corruption and on electronic transactions.

CONCLUSION

In a previous contribution to The Straits Times, ("The haze, international law and global co-operation", Oct 6, 2015), we discussed the principle of international law that a state has the sovereign right to exploit its natural resources, including its forests. However, that sovereign right is limited by a second principle, namely that a state has the responsibility to ensure that activities within its jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other states.

We explained that there is a clear rule in international law that acts committed in one territory that cause environmental harm to the territory of another state constitute a legal wrong. It is, therefore, consistent with international law for Singapore to hold accountable individuals and companies that have caused the fires in Indonesia or elsewhere for that matter, and which have, in turn, caused the haze pollution in Singapore.

Singapore and Indonesia are close friends and partners. We are two of the founding members of ASEAN. Under Article 2, paragraph 2 of the ASEAN Charter, ASEAN and its member states are committed to adhering to the rule of law and upholding international law.

Indonesia insists that the haze issue be resolved under the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution. We agree that we should use the ASEAN agreement, as well as other bilateral, regional and international agreements, to solve this problem. However, such agreements cannot curtail Singapore's right to take actions that are in compliance with international law.

Singapore's Transboundary Haze Pollution Act is consistent with international law. It does not violate Indonesia's sovereignty.

On the contrary, Indonesia should welcome Singapore's law, which complements Indonesia's efforts to hold accountable those errant companies and individuals that have acted in blatant disregard of the serious harm they have caused to the people of Indonesia as well as those of its neighbours.

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Malaysia: Multimedia Commission to shut sites that sell animals illegally

RAHIMY RAHIM The Star 26 Jun 16;

PETALING JAYA: Wildlife protection authorities are working closely with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) to close down websites or home pages selling wildlife illegally in Malaysia.

A Malaysian Facebook page offering wildlife such as leopard cats, dusky leaf monkeys, binturong (bearcat), barred eagle owls and several other protected species was just shut down by Facebook.

Natural Resources and Environ­ment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the ministry had agreed to work closely with Wildlife Protection and Natio­nal Parks Department (Perhilitan) on this issue at a meeting last year.

“For cases involving Facebook and Twitter accounts that were found selling exotic and endangered animals, Perhilitan will conduct initial investigations before ordering an enforcement operation and later request the help of MCMC to shut the accounts.

“The page can also be shut down by the Facebook administrator if there is complaint from the public,” he said yesterday.

The Facebook page called ‘Peminat Haiwan Exotic Malaysia’ (Malaysian Exotic Animals Fans), claimed to be “selling regulated goods”, and was promoting the sale of protected Malaysian species.

It was also found to be facilitating illegal activities by allowing members to post advertisements of nationally protected species for sale to the members of public.

In a five-month survey of local Facebook groups, wildlife trade watchdog Traffic South-East Asia found 236 different posts with protected animals such as the sun bear and slow loris “not very secretly” being sold for up to thousands of ringgit each.

Deputy Minister Datuk Hamim Samuri said such acts were unacceptable and gave his assurance the ministry would work with all the relevant enforcement agencies and increase its surveillance to curb the selling of rare and exotic animals, especially in cyberspace.

The ministry, Hamim said, was also in the midst of fine-tuning all existing laws, including the Protection of Wildlife Act 1972, to ensure they were relevant to current challenges.

“Our minister had the officers check existing laws and push for the revamp those that are not current, including the penalties, for dealing with illegal online trading,” he said.

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Best of our wild blogs: 25 Jun 16

Mass coral bleaching at Beting Bemban Besar
wild shores of singapore

Rainy Night Walk At Venus Drive (24 June 2016)
Beetles@SG BLOG

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Malaysia: Benalec’s entire Tg Piai reclamation project gets DOE approval

The Star 23 Jun 16;

KUALA LUMPUR: Benalec Holdings Bhd has received the green light from the Department of Environment (DOE) for all three phases of its Tanjung Piai Integrated Petroleum and Petrochemical Hub and Maritime Industrial Park (TPMIP) project in Johor.

The marine construction firm said on Thursday that the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) study submitted by 70% owned subsidiary Spektrum Kukuh and Johor State Secretary Inc for Phases 2 and 3 got the nod on Friday last week.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, the company said this was for the balance area of 2,407 acres of the total reclamation area of 3,487 acres.

The go-ahead for Phase 1 of the project had been received in January 2015.

The company said the DEIA approval encompassed the reclamation construction for all three phases of TPMIP, oil storage terminals and related marine facilities, which will be capable of accommodating vessels up to 350,000 deadweight tonnage.

“The approval also includes infrastructure components on TPMIP such as jetties, a land bridge connecting TPMIP to the mainland of Tanjung Piai, and drainage channel dredging activities in the waters of Tanjung Piai, Johor,” it added.

Reclamation works for Phase 1 began in December last year after the relevant approvals were secured, and there has been formation of land covering more than 100 acres at the project to date, Benalec group managing director Datuk Vincent Leaw Seng Hai said in a press statement.

The company said its reclamation and development works for the Pengerang Maritime Industrial Park at Teluk Ramunia, Johor, had also secured the development order and earthwork plan approvals.

According to reports, among the directors of Spektrum Kukuh are the Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Idris Sultan Ibrahim and Daing A Malek Daing A Rahaman, who are said to be partners to Benalec in the Tanjung Piai project.

Benalec shares gained 3 sen to close at 50 sen on Thursday,with 1.665 million shares changing hands.


Benalec confident of raising enough cash internally for project
S. PUSPADEVI The Star 27 Jun 16;

PETALING JAYA: Benalec Holdings Bhd is confident it can generate enough cash internally to fund the reclamation works of the massive Tanjung Piai Maritime Industrial Park (TPMIP) project in Johor.

Having reclaimed more than 2,400 acres in Malacca, group managing director and CEO Datuk Vincent Leaw Seng Hai said the firm had to date monetised most of its reclaimed land and was seeing the fruit of its labour.

“We have to fork out the entire reclamation costs upfront and recoup our investments later on as we monetise the land we have entitlement to as payment in kind.

“Our main source of internally generated funds come from the monetisation of our reclaimed land,” he revealed.

At present, the group has over 200 acres of reclaimed land that have yet to be sold and more than 300 acres awaiting to be reclaimed in Malacca, apart from an additional 100 acres being held for sale in Pulau Indah, Port Klang.

“We are optimistic that we can monetise these land banks soon to generate more cash flow to reinvest into our TPMIP in Johor,” he said.

According to the latest quarterly report, Benalec has total liabilities of RM161.64 mil, including bonds of RM149.9mil. Its cash amounted to RM142.19mil and this includes fixed deposits of RM133.51mil.

Benalec carved a niche to reclaim land in Malacca where it had sold seafronting properties.

On that note, Leaw said the group would replicate its strategy in Melaka for its Johor projects.

Meanwhile, Leaw revealed that Benalec was also exploring other routes of equity fund raising for future investments.

This was not restricted to land reclamation but for also oil terminals by way of private placements, rights issue, merger and acquisitions, and even a dual listing in Singapore, he said, adding that this would enhance the group’s profile since many oil majors and multinational corporations had their businesses rooted in Singapore.

Benalec hoped that the income generated from the storage leased out by tank terminal would be its future revenue stream, while it explored other methods to boost its recurring income by promoting its land at TPMIP and Pengerang Maritime Industrial Park.

“We will be exploring outright sales, upfront leases, annual leases and joint ventures with potential partners depending on their requirements,” he added.

Going forward, Leaw opined that with the present market condition, it would be appropriate to make investments now that raw material prices were at their lowest.

Taking into consideration the growth in energy and its demand in South-East Asia in the coming years, he believed the projects in Johor would lead to more inflow of foreign investments into Malaysia.


Benalec maps out strategy in Johor
S. PUSPADEVI The Star 27 Jun 16;

PETALING JAYA: Marine engineering firm, Benalec Holdings Bhd, which has the rights to reclaim land equivalent to half the size of Jurong, Singapore off the south-west coast of Johor, is going into the oil storage business through a joint venture with a large international logistics company.

Towards this end, Benalec has inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the company last Friday, which it declined to disclose the details, to conduct a feasibility study with the view of building and operating a greenfield oil storage terminal project at Tanjung Piai Maritime Industrial Park (TPMIP) in Johor.

“It is our preliminary mutual understanding that this counter party shall be the majority shareholder of the project and the terminal would also be operated and branded under their trade mark,” group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Vincent Leaw Seng Hai told StarBiz yesterday.

Under the MoU, the international firm would be the majority shareholder of the oil storage terminal, while Banelec was looking into the possibility of holding a minority stake.

Leaw said the oil storage facility would inevitably provide stable recurring income from storage leases, in line with the group’s strategy to diversify its business portfolio.

Last week Benalec received the approval from the Department of Environment to reclaim phase two and phase three totalling 2,407 acres for the development of TPMIP. The TPMIP is carried out by Spectrum Kukuh Sdn Bhd where Benalec has a 70% stake while the Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Idris Sultan Ibrahim and Daing A. Malek Daing A. Rahaman owned the rest.

Approval for phase one of the project involving 1,080 acres had been approved earlier.

Benalec estimates the entire development of TPMIP covering 3,487 acres to have a gross development value of RM10bil to RM12bil over the next 15 years.

Leaw said Benalec had been in talks with several potential partners for the first tank storage facility to be set up at TPMIP over the last few months.

“Several parties have shown interests when the land at TPMIP have started to form above water earlier this year,” he said, adding that Benalec wanted to secure a strong brand name for its venture.

If Benalec gets a partner to build the oil storage facilities, it would be the second after Dialog Group Bhd that has started operating its deep-water oil terminal storage facilities at Pengerang last year with Vopak of Netherlands as its partner.

Despite the bearish sentiments on the oil and gas stocks, Leaw is confident that its TPMIP project can lift off due to the stimulated growth from the ongoing Refinery and Petrochemicals Integrated Development project in Pengerang (Rapid) and since its development was the only seafront land left available in the area within the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex.

Leaw also said that they were able to undertake land reclamation works at cheap price, which allowed it to subsequently be competitive.

“We can perform our reclamation works at a relatively lower cost and at a much faster rate due to the closer sand source. This translates to a more competitive final selling price that will attract potential investors,” said Leaw.

The business model, he said, was viable taking into account a large international independent oil storage company that has succeeded over the years within the vicinity of TPMIP project and was now expanding.

With over 15 years of experience in land reclamation works, Leaw reveals that a majority of reclaimed land in Melaka were Benalec’s projects, in which the firm had to fund the reclamation cost from its coffers.

On the RM200mil Benalec recently raised from the issuance of Redeemable Convertible Secured Bonds in April 2015, Leaw said that the convertible bonds was intended to fund reclamation works in respect of lands to be reclaimed for which sale and purchase agreements (SPAs) or letter of awards have been entered into.

“For lands that we reclaim without SPAs in place, the funding would be from our internally generated funds,” he said.

As the TPMIP project was huge, Leaw expected the project to keep Benalec busy for the next 10 to 15 years.

Benalec was faced with a stumbling block last June when its agreement with partners had lapsed and there was no intention to pursue the matter, forcing it to call off its plans to build the petroleum hub in Tanjung Piai.

But it now seems to be braving the tides in this capital-intensive business, despite the mounting financial pressures faced by many oil and gas firms globally.

As of March 31, 2016, Benalec’s operating profit before changes in working capital has increased to RM47.22mil from RM31.26mil.

While TPMIP project’s proximity to Singapore was a plus point, Leaw said the near term target for TPMIP was to capture the spillover demand for oil, gas and petrochemical storage as well as other downstream service activities from multinational corporations (MNCs) operating there and provide a more cost-effective alternative to the firms.

“We understand that the storage terminals in Singapore have in fact been running at close to full capacity, and the current contago market has further fuelled the demand for storage.

“And Singapore currently faces shortage of land for expansion by these firms. Other ways of storage such as the Jurong underground rock caverns and floating structures have been built at high costs to provide solutions to the problem,” said Leaw.

Apart from the current focus of attracting bulk liquid terminal investments into TPMIP since this was already approved under its DEIA, Leaw foresees in the longer term demand for industrial warehousing and logistic services would be huge, as many LPG and LNG firms, and petrochemical storage terminals were likely to develop their businesses at TPMIP.

Oceancove Sdn Bhd is the major shareholder of Benalec, with 47.77% interest. Leaw and his close relatives are directors of Oceancove.

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Malaysia: Johor mulls importing more beef following FMD outbreak

The Star 25 Jun 16;

JOHOR BARU: With Hari Raya just around the corner, Johor may have to import beef to meet demand, after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) among cows in Mersing.

State Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Committee chairman Ismail Mohamed said this must be done if there was great demand for beef in the next couple of weeks.

The Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry has issued permits for the import of beef due to the outbreak and coming festive occasion. The state government has appointed five local suppliers to import the meat, but only if the need arises, Ismail said.

He downplayed worries over FMD, saying not many cows were affected and that the situation was under control.

“Cows in enclosures or in feedlots are healthy and do not show any symptoms of FMD. Only cattle that were roaming tested positive,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Ismail pointed out that in Mersing alone, there were 297 farmers with 14,935 in livestock – 8,708 cows, 3,260 buffaloes, 2,419 sheep and 548 lambs.

The Johor Veterinary Department started vaccinating cows against FMD in nearby Teriang and Endau from June 7.

Further tests by the department found that only 43 cows, belonging to 11 farmers, have the disease at this time.

Ismail said the next step was to find the source of the infection and how it was able to spread.

Livestock farmers in Mersing have told The Star that they could lose tens of thousands of ringgit if people stay away from beef due to the outbreak.

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Indonesia: Java on brink of ecological collapse

Hans Nicholas Jong and Bambang Muryanto The Jakarta Post 24 Jun 16;

Tough mission: Military personnel and search and rescue team members scour debris for victims following a landslide at Kolongan Beha, Sangihe Islands, North Sulawesi, on Thursday. Floods and landslides caused by extreme weather in different locations in the past few days have left three people dead, damaged dozens of houses and affected transportation links.(Antara/Stenly Pontolawokang)

Unruly permit issuance and rapid extractive industry expansion have led to a string of disasters in several parts of Indonesia, particularly in Java, which is on the brink of ecological collapse as most of its forest areas have been converted.

Industrial activities have led to steep forest cover decline in Java, from 15 percent in the early 1990s to 3 percent currently. The deforestation has led to disasters such as flooding and landslides, which have been exacerbated by the recent extreme weather in Indonesia, according to Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) senior researcher Soeryo Adiwibowo.

“On one hand, the size of natural forests and agriculture fields keeps declining. On the other hand, industry, transportation and abandoned fields keep increasing because Java is being converted into an industrial zone even though its ecological burden is already too heavy,” he said.

The biggest culprit is the cement industry, which has grown by eating up the forests of Java. Investors flock to Java because it has more developed infrastructure and a larger labor force than other major islands in Indonesia.

“But the government has to develop outside Java as well right? Until now the growth of the extractive industry, especially cement, has been increasing sharply,” IPB forestry department senior researcher Hariadi Kartodihardjo told The Jakarta Post.

According to Hariadi, due to the massive loss of forests, Java is especially prone to flooding during the rainy season and drought during the dry season.

In 2015, 80 percent of Java’s 118 regencies and municipalities experienced heavy flooding, while 90 percent suffered from prolonged drought.

“The loss of vegetation is causing a dramatic gap between the dry season and rainy season. During the dry season, there is no water catchment and soil dries fast. On the other hand, water cannot be contained during the rainy season because there is no vegetation,” said Hariadi.

Regional governments have contributed significantly to the loss of forest coverage in Java by issuing regulations that benefit the extractive industry. IPB data said that between 2007 and 2008, at least 122 of the 278 bylaws passed by local governments in Java made it easy for companies to exploit natural resources.

“But now the Home Ministry is revoking regional regulations that hinder investment, not regulations that are destroying the environment and supporting the extractive industry. It means the government only thinks of the economy and not the environment,” Hariadi said.

Environment and Forestry Minister Siti Nurbaya Bakar said regional governments should also improve their spatial planning.

“Ecological disasters like these are also related to spatial planning. Sustainable spatial planning already takes water conservation into account. It shows that the role of regional governments is huge,” she said.

Extreme weather has been especially deadly this year, with heavy rains hitting parts of Indonesia during an abnormally wet dry season. As of Thursday, 56 people had been killed due to flooding and landslides in Central Java alone, with nine people still missing.

Purworejo regency was hit the heaviest, with 42 people dead and six people missing. A search and rescue (SAR) mission is still ongoing, according to National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho.

“Around 300 SAR personnel are being deployed to look for the missing victims. Yesterday, the police deployed dogs but since there were many people watching the landslide, it created difficulties in the field,” he said.

Two villages in Purworejo; Sudimoro and Tlogorejo, were still isolated after a flood and landslide blocked road access to the areas.

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Mass coral bleaching in Singapore

Beyond the pale
Warmer seas hurting corals; experts suggest moving them to deeper waters or into controlled environments
Audrey Tan Straits Times 24 Jun 16;

Just as flowers wilt in strong sunlight, soft corals are bleached and appear shrivelled when the water gets too warm.

All is not well in the sea, where temperatures have risen and caused coral bleaching in Singapore and around the world.

Water temperatures have dipped slightly since early this month, and scientists are hopeful that partially bleached corals can recover if the water does not get any hotter.


Bleaching occurs when abnormally high sea temperatures cause corals and related organisms - such as sea anemones - to expel the symbiotic micro-algae living in them.

Corals depend on the symbiotic algae, called zooxanthellae, for food.

"The algae exit the coral, leaving the coral without the zoo- xanthellae's colour and exposing the limestone skeleton which is white, hence 'bleaching'," explained Assistant Professor Huang Danwei, a marine biologist from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) biological sciences department.

Without the algae, the corals derive nutrition by trapping plankton. "But this is not sufficient over the long term, and will result in the weakening of the coral and increase its susceptibility to stress," said coral expert Chou Loke Ming.

A conservative estimate of the temperature threshold at which corals bleach is 31.15 deg C, +/-0.20 deg C, according to the National Parks Board (NParks).

"From end April, temperatures began exceeding the bleaching threshold, reaching up to 0.8 degrees above the threshold some time in May," said Dr Karenne Tun, director of the coastal and marine division at NParks' National Biodiversity Centre.

Temperatures have dipped to just below the bleaching threshold from early this month, and scientists are monitoring the reefs here.

Professor Chou, an adjunct research professor at NUS' Tropical Marine Science Institute, said researchers are not sure yet if the current bleaching episode has peaked.

"But this is certainly a major bleaching event, like in 1998 and 2010. Water temperature is still above normal," he added. The average sea temperature here is 28 deg C, he Chou said.

This year, as in 1998 and 2010, is an El Nino year. This refers to the phenomenon linked to prolonged warmer weather.

Dr Tun said NParks' management strategies include safeguarding local rare species by moving them to deeper water with stronger currents or into controlled environments.

Prof Chou said these measures could help, although the responses are limited in scale. Transplantation is a stressful process for corals and the number of colonies that can be moved is also limited, he said.

Also, when temperatures go back to normal, corals moved to deeper water may suffer from the lack of sunlight at those depths.

Added the marine conservation veteran of 30 years: "A more effective approach is not to wait until warming occurs before responding.

"We should start translocating coral colonies to different and more challenging sites, and give them sufficient time to adapt so that they can tolerate the impact of warming when it next comes."


Keppel Land building homes for man and marine life
Keppel Land condo project includes effort to house corals
Audrey Tan Straits Times 24 Jun 16;

Marinas, docks and harbours may not sound like the ideal homes for marine creatures, but property developer Keppel Land has taken up the challenge: It wants to build homes not only for people but also for marine life.

To do this, it has embarked on a project to enhance the existing marine habitat in the waters around King's Dock, next to its upcoming waterfront condominium Corals at Keppel Bay.

Naturally-occurring hard corals that are unattached or overturned due to natural processes are first picked up from around Keppel Island and grown in a nursery. They are then transplanted onto artificial reefs at the new site in the Keppel Bay waterfront precinct.

In April, 10 underwater "condominiums" were completed. These are artificial reef structures made of fibreglass, which provide a substrate where transplanted corals are attached.

Marine biologist Brian Cabrera from consultancy DHI Water and Environment, which was appointed by Keppel Land for the project, said marine organisms can naturally be found in the area.

"But by providing more substrates, it adds complexity to the reef and encourages more marine habitat formation. These reef enhancement structures also serve as fish-aggregating devices and should improve natural coral recruitment," he said.

Mr Cabrera and his colleagues will be doing their first monitoring dive next month to document the health and growth of the transplanted corals and provide the necessary maintenance, such as cleaning sediment.

When The Straits Times joined the marine biologists for a dive on Monday, fish such as the monocle bream, orange-spotted rabbitfish, pipefish and copperband butterfly fish were seen flitting around the arms of the transplanted branching coral. Butterfly fish, in particular, are a good sign as they are usually found in healthy reef environments, said Mr Cabrera.

Mr Tan Swee Yiow, president of Keppel Land, Singapore, said: "True to its name, Corals at Keppel Bay, apart from featuring world- class waterfront homes, also provides an underwater sanctuary for marine life to thrive."

Work on the project started as early as 2014 when Keppel Land appointed DHI to helm it.

Marine biologists first collected fragments of coral measuring roughly 10cm from the waters around Keppel Island. They were then nurtured in a coral nursery for about 16 months. During this period, they grew to about five times their original size. Biologists then attached them to the fibreglass structures using marine epoxy cement.

The coral project is Keppel Land's latest initiative to protect the marine life around Keppel Island Bay.

The Marina Industries Association had last September touted the developer's Marina at Keppel Bay as Asia's first fish-friendly marina, in recognition of marina operators who work to improve fish habitats.

Among other things, boat owners are encouraged to use biodegradable washing liquids and detergents when cleaning their vessels. Fishing is also not allowed. The measures are part of Keppel's City Reef project, which aims to nurture a kaleidoscope of marine life under its pontoons. As a result, marine creatures such as jellyfish and harlequin sweetlips are thriving there.

Coral expert Chou Loke Ming, an adjunct research professor at the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Tropical Marine Science Institute, said there are benefits to nurturing a healthy marine ecosystem, whether man-made or natural.

"It will help to make the water clearer by filtering pollutants from the water, and also attract more marine life and become biologically productive. People can look and enjoy the splendour of life thriving in sea."

Assistant Professor Huang Danwei from the NUS Reef Ecology Lab added: "Many marine organisms are effective indicators of water quality. A thriving marine ecosystem in a marina, for example, indicates an environment that is probably safe for recreation."

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Best of our wild blogs: 23 Jun 16

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