Palm oil in your grocery items could be from haze culprits

Jessica Lim, My Paper AsiaOne 8 Oct 15;

PAPER products may just be the tip of the iceberg: Many grocery items here could come from plantations that contribute to the haze.

In an exclusive interview with The Straits Times yesterday, Stefano Savi from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) said that about half of the products on supermarket shelves here contain palm oil - from toothpaste and cosmetics to bread and frozen french fries.

Mr Savi, the global outreach and engagement director of RSPO, a palm oil certification body, added that as much as 80 per cent of global palm oil is uncertified.

"While we are sure about the origins and the sustainability criteria under which 20 per cent of global palm oil is produced, we are not able to claim the same for the other 80 per cent," he said, adding that the 1,400 fires that happened in Indonesia in the whole of last month were within oil palm plantations.

Errant oil palm plantation owners set fire to adjacent forests to open up new land for growing. Some also use this method to clear their plantations after a crop cycle.

Culprits are difficult to trace as supply chain processes are muddied by factors such as a lack of land ownership information in Indonesia and bulk processing, in which fruits from hundreds of small plantations are trucked to a central mill where they are mixed up.

There are 19 firms in Singapore with RSPO certification, including instant noodle maker Tat Hui Foods and consumer products company Procter & Gamble.

RSPO does not track the products of its certified organisations but Mr Savi, who is based in RSPO's headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, reckons that only a handful of products here have its mark.

The low take-up rate could be due to several reasons, he said.

Palm oil typically makes up just a small part of the formulation of a product, so few firms think it is necessary to use sustainable supplies. Distributors who want to sell RSPO certified products will also need to get their supplies from RSPO certified mills and growers.

"Also, in certain markets, palm oil is not perceived positively, so companies won't want to emphasise that palm oil is in their products at all," he added. Around a fifth of the world's palm oil is now certified by RSPO.

The Singapore Environment Council (SEC) - which has awarded green labels to over 3,000 products here - does not currently certify palm oil-based products here, but plans to do so by early next year.

"Not many firms here have RSPO certification, so we are looking to move into that sector because palm oil is used in so many products," said SEC's head of eco-certification, Kavickumar Muruganathan.

When contacted, World Wide Fund for Nature Singapore director of communications Kim Stengert said there is not yet a range of certified sustainable palm oil products available here.

"At this stage, if all the non-certified palm oil products were taken off the shelves, we would have very empty supermarkets," he said. "Consumers need to be able to express their preference for sustainable palm oil through their purchasing decisions."

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More firms on board for 'haze-free' declaration

Jessica Lim, The Straits Times AsiaOne 8 Oct 15;

Even as more firms signed a declaration that their products are free of raw materials from companies being investigated for forest fires in Indonesia, many noted that it was hard to pinpoint an item's source.

Tissue paper distributor Tipex and printer paper supplier Mukim Fine Papers signed on Tuesday. FairPrice, Unity Pharmacy and Malaysia Newsprint Industries did so yesterday, bringing to 15 the number of firms that have signed.

Tipex said in a statement to The Straits Times that it does not own plantations and mills, and so does not make paper products itself.

"Rather, these are sourced from various suppliers, internationally," said its spokesman Cindy Lim. "Due to the involvement of many parties in the process, companies may not be privy to one another's internal business and work processes."

Mukim Fine Papers simply stopped ordering from Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) - one of the five firms under probe - altogether.

Said its business development manager Ben Chua: "We cannot trace what is happening at APP so it's best that we just stop selling its products."

On Monday, the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) released a list of firms that had signed the declaration. It has so far sent the form to 23 firms that manufacture or sell wood and paper products.

SEC's plan is to also start working with other industries known to contribute to the haze and deforestation - for instance, palm oil product manufacturers and retailers.

Errant pulpwood plantation owners typically burn land to clear it quickly after logging season, said experts. Many also burn adjacent forests to open up new land to expand their plantations. Wayward oil palm plantation owners are also known to clear land this way.

Culprits are difficult to trace as supply chain processes are muddied by factors such as a lack of land ownership information in Indonesia.

World Wide Fund for Nature Indonesia's Global Forest and Trade Network Coordinator Aditya Bayunanda said that for palm oil, for instance, mills - which extract crude palm oil - are supplied by hundreds of plantations.

Traders, he said, go round to small independently-owned oil palm farms, collect the fruit, then supply it to a main supplier, which trucks it to mills.

This, said Associate Professor Tan Yan Weng, head of SIM University's logistics and supply chain management programme, causes "everything to get mixed up".

There are other complications, said SEC's head of eco-certification Kavickumar Muruganathan. Retailers here typically obtain the rights to sell a product from distributors, which then arrange with overseas manufacturers to import the stock.

"Manufacturers might own plantations, but some strike deals with landowners on the side to use their land. Some also ask other suppliers to sell the fruit to them on an ad hoc basis if demand spikes," he said, adding that errant firms pay farmers to use their land for oil palm.

On paper, the land is owned by the farmer and the firm is not implicated. There is also no map of land ownership available, making the task of pinpointing the owners of a plantation difficult.

However, Nanyang Technological University's Professor Ang Peng Hwa, who co-founded the Haze Elimination Action Team volunteer group, urged retailers to stop "putting up a smokescreen".

"It is true it can be difficult. But retailers have to ask suppliers to show them certification," said Prof Ang. "Consumers also have a role to play to demand higher standards."

The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), an international organisation, has certified 111 companies here to use its trademarks on products. FSC's Asia-Pacific regional director Alistair Monument said that every player in the supply chain for these products is audited yearly.

Paper mills involved, for instance, have to keep records of inputs and outputs so that the origin of the fibres can be checked.

SPH's newsprint supplies not from companies linked to Indonesia's forest fires
AsiaOne 8 Oct 15;

In response to media queries, Singapore Press Holdings Limited (SPH) confirmed that it does not purchase any of its newsprint supplies from the five companies which are under probe for links to the forest fires in Indonesia. The fires have caused serious haze pollution in Indonesia and its neighbours across the region.

SPH also said that it purchases its newsprint supplies for its newspapers from diversified sources in Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific.

Mr Alan Chan, SPH's Chief Executive Officer, said: "A very high percentage - some 80 per cent - of the newsprint is derived from recycled paper. Only the remaining 20 per cent is from virgin pulp and this comes from certified sustainable sources. None of the virgin pulp is sourced from Indonesia."

The certifications include Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification (PEFC), ISO 14001, Certification by the South Korean Board of National Technology and Quality (GR) and EU Ecolabel.

SPH said that as a leading media organisation in South-east Asia and a responsible corporate citizen, it strongly supports sustainability and aims to remain in the forefront of corporate social responsibility.


Green labels in the spotlight following haze in the region
Companies in Singapore must meet stringent requirements before they are issued such labels, which are an endorsement of a company's environmentally-friendly claims.
Imelda Saad, Channel NewsAsia 8 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE: Green labels are now in the spotlight following the haze that is engulfing the region. In Singapore, companies must meet stringent requirements before they are issued such labels, which are an endorsement of a company's environmentally-friendly claims.

The Singapore Environment Council (SEC), which administers the scheme, on Thursday (Oct 8) made this point amid questions over the rigour of the certification process.

Asia Pulp and Paper Group (APP), which carries the Singapore Green Label, had its certification temporarily restricted, following investigations into the company's role in starting foreign fires in Indonesia. APP is one of five Indonesian companies that National Environment Agency (NEA) is taking action against over the haze pollution.

There are about 3,000 products sold in Singapore which carry the Singapore Green Label. These include paper products from APP, which have since been taken off the shelves by two major supermarket chains in Singapore.

APP was issued the green label five years ago, and the certification has to be renewed every year.

According to SEC, APP met all the requirements at the point of submitting its green label application. Said SEC's executive director, Mr Edwin Seah: "In the case of paper products, we require them to provide evidence that their raw material has been sourced sustainably, so one of the documentations is they must have a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification.

“However beyond that, we also look at their energy usage, the bleaching that they use and the colouring that they use. Included also are third-party accredited test lab reports that they have to submit to us."

Once the green label is issued, the Council conducts quarterly mystery audits and picks random products for tests. There has not been an issue with APP, until recently.

Said Mr Seah: "Given the current haze situation and them being one of the companies named by NEA, we took the step to decide that it might be in the consumer's interest for us to put a temporary restriction on the use of the green label."

It was that move that led to at least two supermarket chains - NTUC FairPrice and Sheng Siong - pulling out all APP-related products off the shelves. The Indonesian company, which has a branch in Singapore, has cried foul saying the move was premature, since investigations are ongoing.

However, the Council remains firm in its stance. Mr Seah said: "It is not premature because the companies in question have already been identified by the NEA as possibly causing the haze. So, I think it is only right that we, together with CASE (Consumers Association of Singapore) and some of these major retailers, take the necessary actions to protect, not just consumers but Singaporeans in general, from irresponsible manufacturers that in the first place brought about the haze."

The suspension of the green label is temporary, pending the completion of both the Council's and NEA's investigations. Depending on the results, the certification could either be reinstated or revoked.

Earlier this week, SEC reached out to 17 companies which have products certified under the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme. They were asked to declare that they have not procured or used any wood, paper or pulp material from the five companies currently under investigation by the Singapore Government for starting the forest fires in Indonesia.

Now, out of the 17 companies, 14 have sent in their declaration forms. The three that have not have had their Singapore Green Label certification temporarily restricted. The three companies are PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper, PT Pabrik Kertas Tjiwi Kimia and Universal Sovereign Trading.

- CNA/xk

Supermarkets pull plug on haze-linked firm's products
Jessica Lim, The Straits Times AsiaOne 8 Oct 15;

Supermarket chains NTUC FairPrice, Sheng Siong and Prime Supermarket have pulled all Asia Pulp and Paper (APP) items off their shelves, including popular brands such as Paseo.

The Dairy Farm group, which operates chains such as Guardian, 7-Eleven, Cold Storage and Giant, has also stopped replenishing APP stock. It will continue to sell existing items till they run out.

FairPrice was the first to make the announcement yesterday morning, followed by the others later in the day.

Their actions came after the Singapore Environment Council (SEC) temporarily suspended the green label of APP's exclusive distributor here, Universal Sovereign Trading.

On Sept 30, the SEC had also asked 17 firms, including FairPrice, to sign a form to declare that they do not carry products from five companies, including APP, which are under probe over their possible link to the haze-causing forest fires. The form also asks firms to state that they have not been convicted in any court in relation to the haze.

Yesterday, the SEC sent the same form to Prime, Dairy Farm, Sheng Siong, Ikea, Unity Pharmacy and Watsons.

Ikea said it does not buy from the firms under probe. Unity signed the form yesterday, while Watsons is still working with its suppliers and will make a decision soon.

FairPrice carries two housebrand goods supplied by APP and 16 other APP-related products including the Paseo, Nice and Jolly brands.

All these items were pulled off the shelves at its over 290 outlets, including Cheers convenience stores, by 5pm yesterday.

Late last month, the National Environment Agency began legal action against APP and four Indonesian firms it believes to be behind the burning. The haze from forest fires in Kalimantan and Sumatra has spread to Thailand after blanketing the skies and affecting the air quality in parts of Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines in recent weeks.

FairPrice chief executive Seah Kian Peng said the chain took some time to decide to pull APP's products and sign the declaration because "as a fair business partner, we reserved taking action pending further information and investigation by the authorities".

The final decision was made after SEC temporarily restricted APP's green label certification. Mr Seah said APP's products would be reinstated if the firm is found to be innocent and gets back its green label.

The move to pull APP's products, he said, cost the chain "millions". "It does hurt us financially... but this goes beyond just the financial impact. I think it is the right thing for us to do, it is the responsible thing for us to do," said Mr Seah.

APP's managing director of sustainability Aida Greenbury said the firm "is firmly against forest fire" and that it deployed 2,900 firefighters and fire suppression helicopters to deal with the situation.

"We understand why FairPrice feels the need to take urgent action... but accuracy is just as important," she said. "The fire situation is complex and both the Singapore and Indonesia governments and authorities are still investigating the situation."

Mr Loh Weiwen, 33, an in-house legal counsel, hailed the supermarkets' move. "It is a very prompt response that is surprising to many shoppers in a good way. I hope other retailers follow suit ."


Many will boycott products from haze-causing firms: Poll
Jalelah Abu Baker and Yuen Sin, The Straits Times AsiaOne 9 Oct 15;

Many people will boycott products from companies that are contributing to the ongoing haze, according to a street poll of 50 people by The Straits Times yesterday.

The reasons they gave included wanting to penalise the companies for causing the haze by decreasing demand for their products and to send a message that they are not happy with the companies' actions.

Out of the 50 people surveyed, half said they will not buy products from such companies.

Another 19 believed that boycotting these goods would have no effect, while the rest sat on the fence.

"If they have not taken care in what they are doing, and are affecting the lives of a big part of the region, they should be penalised," said financial planner Daniel Tay.

The 45-year-old said that the haze has become something "out of control" and believes that Singapore has the clout to influence these firms despite being a small country.

Housewife Dawn Wee, 49, said: "They should bear some responsibility for their actions - making profits at the expense of people's health."

Tutor Angeline Tan, 44, said it did not matter even if she were the only one to boycott these companies, adding that "it starts from one".

Mr Seah Seng Choon, executive director of the Consumers Association of Singapore, echoed her sentiment. "If every one of us plays a part, it will certainly send a strong signal to the companies. If we combine all our efforts, we will be a formidable force," he said.

He added that he has reached out to the regional office of Consumer International in Kuala Lumpur to inform consumer bodies to put pressure on companies to stop slash- and-burn practices that cause the haze.

Last month, the National Environment Agency began legal action against five companies, including Asia Pulp and Paper, which are believed to be behind the burning.

In the poll yesterday, nearly 20 felt that boycotting products from the firms involved will not help.

Mr Neo Heng Wei, 20, a student, said: "It doesn't address the root problem, which is the fact that burning the trees is the fastest method of clearing the forest. Educating these workers is most important."

Others sat on the fence, saying that their decision to boycott the products depended on how essential the products were to them, and whether there were alternatives.

jalmsab@sph.com.sg

yuensin@sph.com.sg

Top 3 reasons to boycott or not

YES

Need to penalise companies economically for causing the haze.

It is a way of decreasing supply of products by decreasing demand.

Sends a message that they are unhappy with the companies' actions.

NO

Does not address the root cause of the haze.

Singapore is too small and lacks the economic clout needed to influence companies' behaviour.

They are not affected by the haze.

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Association of Banks in Singapore releases guidelines on responsible financing

The guidelines comprise three main elements - disclosure of senior management's commitment, internal controls that support responsible financing, and raising staff awareness on environmental, social and governance issues.
Nicole Tan Channel NewsAsia 8 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE: Companies with poor environmental practices will find it harder to get financing in future, as banks in Singapore will soon incorporate environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria in their lending and risk assessment.

Amid the recent backdrop of hazy skies, there have been calls for banks to play their part by making sure the companies they lend to behave responsibly.

The latest set of guidelines released by the Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) on Thursday (Oct 8) comprise three main elements - disclosure of senior management's commitment, internal controls that support responsible financing and raising staff awareness on ESG issues.

Said the director of ABS Ong Ai Boon: "This set of guidelines is not a silver bullet. We cannot guarantee that in the short term, it will solve this haze problem. Nevertheless, over the long term, with all these ESG criteria in the lending policies of banks, it will moderate and it must transform the operating procedures of the customers of banks. Hence, we hope that in the near future, these issues can be resolved with the concerted effort of all the stakeholders."

The ESG standards cover not just environmental practices, but also include labour standards, health and safety as well as corporate ethics and integrity.

As Singapore is a major Asian financial centre, the new governance criteria will have an effect on companies across the region. Observers have said that some banks already have sustainable lending practices in place and these standards can help formalise them. Overall, they said that it can help encourage more sustainable development, as banks have a central role in shaping responsible actions from their clients.

Ms Jeanne Stampe, Asia Finance and Commodities Specialist at WWF International, said: "If the cost of and access to capital is tied to sustainability performance, and you have banks that have sector policies in place, it effectively starves the fire of the fuel, because operators will find that they are locked out of certain pools of capital.

“All banks typically look to syndicate part of their loans especially the larger loans. If you have some of the larger banks not wishing to lend to a particular operator who is refusing to accept ESG covenants in the loan agreement, then the smaller banks may decide that they do not have such policies and take on the client, (but) will find themselves saddled with the entire loan, they can't syndicate it out."

In response to queries, the three local banks said they are strengthening policies to comply with the new standards. Some said they will reassess or even refuse financing to companies that are in breach of standards.

Going forward, banks in Singapore will be expected to disclose the senior management's commitment to responsible financing in their 2015 Annual Report. ABS said it hopes to see the banks fully comply with the guidelines by 2017.

The Monetary Authority of Singapore said in a statement that it welcomes the guidelines, and it will work with ABS to monitor the adoption and implementation of the guidelines.

- CNA/ms


Banks roped in to fight against haze with new financing guidelines
ANGELA TENG Today Online 8 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE — The Association of Banks in Singapore (ABS) today (Oct 8) issued guidelines on responsible financing, roping in lenders here in the fight against the haze as well as other environmental and social challenges.

To help Singapore’s banking sector support sustainable development, the guidelines incorporate environment, social and governance (ESG) criteria into the banks’ risk assessment and lending decision-making process, as well as drive greater transparency and accountability on ESG issues, the ABS said.

The guidelines call on the banks to provide disclosure of senior management’s commitment to responsible financing, integrate governance and build capacity on responsible lending among banking staff through training and seminars.

Banks will share their vision on responsible financing in their annual reports and publish their ESG policy framework in 12 to 18 months’ time. They will also implement robust governance systems by 2017.

Eight banks have expressed their commitment to the efforts, including Singapore’s three local lenders — DBS, UOB and OCBC — and HSBC, Standard Chartered, Citibank, ABN Amro and Deutsche Bank.

The guidelines follow the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014, which came into effect last month. Early this year, the ABS formed a task force together with several banks to develop a set of industry guidelines on responsible financing.

“It is a social issue, a responsible financing issue. And as financiers, we want to be seen to be responsible to the environment, to society and to have good governance,” said ABS director Ong-Ang Ai Boon.

While the guidelines have no legal teeth, she said peer pressure will keep the lenders in line as “no bank would want a reputational risk. Banks are very sensitive to negative reputation”.

On the haze crisis, she said: “There are many stakeholders involved, and banks are important stakeholders as financiers… This set of guidelines is not a silver bullet to solve the haze problem. Many people may think that banks should stop financing companies (that contribute to the haze), but it is not a guarantee for a short-term solution.”

“It is more important for banks to keep on engaging with the agricultural and forestry industries, all these stakeholders on their financing, talk to the management, give them road maps in order to cause them to change their operating patterns,” she added.

Both UOB and DBS said they would reassess banking relationships with clients who do not meet the ESG standards.

“As part of UOB’s credit and risk assessment practice, the bank expects companies to meet prevailing regulatory standards. The companies should ensure that their operations meet key ESG guidelines and standards,” said Mr Frankie Phua, UOB’s managing director of Country and Credit Risk Management.

“If a company is found to have breached the standards, we will reassess the relationship with the client.”

The Monetary Authority of Singapore welcomed the move by ABS.

“The guidelines are a step forward to enhance responsible financing by financial institutions (FIs). FIs have a role to play in supporting efforts to promote sustainable development. MAS will work with ABS to monitor the adoption and implementation of the guidelines,” said an MAS spokesperson.

The Singapore Institute of International Affairs (SIIA) called the ABS move a timely one. “The haze pollution that Singaporeans and many in our neighbouring countries are suffering now is in part due to the availability of easy financing options for plantation groups. The environmental impact of their business practices, for a long time, is rarely a determining factor in the credit approval process.

“Singapore is a major financial hub and our three local banks have high exposure to the palm oil, and pulp and paper sectors. Unchecked expansion in these two sectors has contributed much to the haze problem… Hence, while Singapore is a victim of haze, it is also a key financier of haze. Business cannot remain as usual and we are heartened that ABS is sending the right signal,” SIIA said.

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Singaporeans deliver 25,000 masks to haze-hit Kalimantan

Relief.sg and Let’s Help Kalimantan volunteers are now looking to educate residents on the importance of masks.
Kane Cunico Channel NewsAsia 9 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE: Two Singaporean volunteer relief groups have returned from Indonesia's Central Kalimantan after seeing through the delivery of more than 25,000 N95 masks to at-risk residents affected by hazardous levels of haze there.

Relief.sg (RSG) CEO, Jonathan How and Let’s Help Kalimantan (LHK) co-founder Hafizhah Jamel called the trip a "success", but said the masks, though crucial, serve merely as a short-term solution.

While in Kalimantan, Mr How and another co-founder of LHK found out that a majority of the residents did not wear masks and those who did assumed the common surgical mask was sufficient. Many were also unaware of how to put on N95 masks correctly.

The two groups are now in the midst of working with organisations in Kalimantan to implement long-term solutions such as health education and are looking for Singaporeans and organisations willing to help.

BEYOND THE MASKS

LHK founder Ms Cheryl Lie, distributing masks to passing motorists along a main road in Palangka Raya as thick haze descends on the city. (Photo: Edwin Koo)

Mr How, who spent three days with local volunteers coordinating the distribution to more vulnerable residents such as children, pregnant women and the elderly, said: “In the grand scheme of things, giving masks is like a Band-Aid approach.

“We would now like to focus on the medium- and long-term solutions. We don’t have the solutions yet, but we really want to explore how we can be part of that solution.

“Before we arrived in Palangka Raya, we talked about the possibility of helping local entrepreneurs to start businesses to sell N95 masks because there was only one shop selling N95 masks. But it is expensive and they had run out of masks for more than a month. So there needs to be local markets.

“And after the mission, we learnt that in the first place, people first need to realise that they need those masks.”

Ms Hafizhah said that LHK, which solicits only N95 mask donations and does not accept money, will continue to work with RSG for long-term solutions and take on a new approach while still delivering masks to residents.

SPURRED TO ACTION BY THE NEWS

The two groups started the mask collection campaign on their own on Sept 22 after reading reports from Channel NewsAsia’s Get Real production team who were filming the documentary, Heart Of The Haze, in Central Kalimantan’s capital of Palangka Raya. The news reports highlighted prolonged air pollution levels reaching 1,500 API in Central Kalimantan’s capital city of Palangka Raya due to forest fires. Some residents said it is the worst haze episode they have ever experienced.

Mr How and Ms Hafizhah, who are both parents, said were moved when they saw videos showing children running around without masks.

Said Ms Hafizhah: “It is very important that they know how to wear the masks. Many of them are so used to wearing the surgical masks, which is useless in PSI levels of 2,000.”

As part of a long-term educational effort, the group is putting up instructional posters that teaches residents how to wear N95 masks. The poster was designed and paid for by the LHK founders.

The group used crowd-funding site Indiegogo to raise funds for shipping costs for the masks and has received some criticism, Ms Hafizhah admitted.

“We have received generous support from Singaporeans but there are some that say, ‘Hey, why aren’t you doing this for local Singaporeans? Why Kalimantan? You should do this for the locals here. You’re doing the wrong thing.’

“We thought that there are so many good initiatives in Singapore doing that. So why not do something for our Indonesian neighbour?”

LOCALS GIVE THE THUMBS UP

Palangka Raya resident, 22-year-old Emmanuela Dewi Shinta, who coordinated the mask distribution for the two Singaporean groups, told Channel NewsAsia that Kalimantan residents are grateful for Singapore’s efforts and that initiatives from groups like LHK and RSG make an impact both socially and politically.

Said the college student who volunteers by distributing food to firefighters battling the raging fires in the fields: “Firstly, we only have surgical masks here. By distributing these masks, people can feel the difference and it changes their perception about the dangers of the haze.

“Secondly, when residents notice that these masks come not from the government but from people from other countries, they start to ask: ‘Non-Indonesians brought 25,000 N95 masks on their own, why can’t my government even send me one?’”

Ms Shinta, who has lived in Central Kalimantan all her life, remembers the fires in 1997, which were the worst in the country’s record, and said this year’s fires are worse.

“I have never seen my city so dark yellow and brown, where all the people are starving for oxygen.

“This year, I’ve experienced it and we cannot let it continue. We have to fight.”

- CNA

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International law 'helps protect S'pore's interests'

Walter Sim, Straits Times AsiaOne 9 Oct 15;

Singapore has sought to use international law as both a sword to advance its interests, and a shield to defend its interests, veteran diplomat Tommy Koh said yesterday.

It therefore adopts a principled approach in always abiding by international law, he told 200 members and guests of the Law Society of Singapore at a lecture titled Singapore And International Law: A 50-Year Retrospective.

This approach guided founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, added Professor Koh, who recounted how when Mr Lee was told that something he suggested was not consistent with international law, he would drop the idea altogether.

However, Singapore's belief in international law is "not based on blind faith", Prof Koh said.

"We know that the international rule of law is weak and cannot deter a determined aggressive power, such as Russia, from using military force to secure its strategic objectives," said Prof Koh, who chairs the Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore and is also an Ambassador- at-Large.

"We accept the reality that when there is a collision between law and military power, military power usually prevails, at least for the short term," he said.

The first principle of Singapore's foreign policy, Prof Koh said, has always been to be strong economically and militarily so it can defend its independence and territorial integrity.

Singapore, he added, should also work assiduously with other like-minded countries to strengthen the international rule of law because "as a small country, we want to live in a world which is ruled by law rather than by force".

Prof Koh cited several cases in which Singapore has relied on international law to protect its interests.

In 1961 and 1962, Singapore had entered into Water Agreements with Johor which, as a constituent state of Malaysia, does not have the legal status to enter into an international treaty. To protect its vital interests, Singapore inserted a "water clause" in the Independence of Singapore agreement with Malaysia that was eventually registered with the United Nations, Prof Koh noted.

He also cited two separate disputes with Malaysia, over land reclamation off Pulau Tekong and Tuas, and over Pedra Branca.

In 2002, Malaysia had accused Singapore of encroaching into its territorial waters with reclamation works in Tuas. Malaysia referred the dispute to arbitration, and Prof Koh noted that the eventual report by an arbitral tribunal largely exonerated Singapore. But it required Singapore to modify the contours of reclamation in Pulau Tekong and pay some compensation.

Both countries had also referred their dispute over Pedra Branca to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). While Singapore was relieved that the ICJ awarded Pedra Branca to Singapore in 2008, it was "rather disappointed" that it granted Middle Rocks to Malaysia.

Both governments accepted the judgment, and Pedra Branca is "no longer a divisive issue, no longer an irritant, in our bilateral relations".

This outcome, he added, was justification for being willing to acknowledge the dispute and to take the risk of losing the case in the ICJ.


International law is 'sword and shield' to advance and protect Singapore's interests: Tommy Koh
Walter Sim Straits Times 9 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE - Singapore has sought to use international law as both a sword to advance aggressive interests, and a shield to protect defensive interests, veteran diplomat Tommy Koh said on Thursday (Oct 8).

Even then, its belief in international law is "not based on blind faith", he added.

"We know that the International Rule of Law is weak and cannot deter an aggressive big power, such as Russia, from using its superior military force to secure its strategic objectives," said Professor Koh, who chairs the Centre for International Law at the National University of Singapore.

"We accept the reality that when there is a collision between law and military power, the latter usually prevails. At least, in the short-term," he added.

This is why, in spite of Singapore's attachment to international law within those limits, the "first principle" of its foreign policy has always been to be strong economically and militarily, so that it can defend its independence and territorial integrity, he said.

Prof Koh, who is also an Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was giving a lecture titled "Singapore & International Law: A 50-Year Retrospective" to members of the Law Society of Singapore.

Singapore, he said, should also work assiduously to strengthen the International Rule of Law because "we want to live in a world which is ruled by law rather than by force".

Prof Koh used history to illustrate his point, citing five cases in which Singapore has relied on international law to protect its interests.

- In 1961 and 1962, Singapore had entered into Water Agreements with Johor. As Johor is a constituent state of Malaysia, it does not have the legal status to enter into an international treaty.

To protect its vital interests, Singapore inserted a "water clause" in the Independence of Singapore agreement with Malaysia, that required the Malaysian Government to guarantee that the Johor Government would abide by the terms of the water agreements. Singapore also registered the independence agreement with the United Nations as an international treaty.

- In 1994, when Malaysia imposed a protectionist trade measure to protect a Malaysian company against competition from Singapore, Singapore tried to resolve the dispute through consultations and negotiations. When these proved fruitless, it decided to invoke a dispute settlement mechanism with the World Trade Organisation. The policy was eventually rescinded.

- In 2004, Indonesia alleged that a consignment of compost sent to Batam and meant for use as soil conditioner and fertilizer contained heavy metals and was "hazardous waste" under Indonesian law. Indonesia notified the secretariat of the Basel Convention, which regulates the movement of such waste across borders, and an expert found that the material was not hazardous. Still, Singapore "generously offered to take the material back", said Prof Koh.

This showed that Singapore should abide scrupulously by international law and defend its good reputation and legal rights, but could also "give face to our neighbours", he added.

He also cited two separate disputes with Malaysia: the first, over land reclamation off Pulau Tekong and Tuas, and the second, over Pedra Branca.

The fact that amicable settlements could be reached following rulings by the respective international tribunals means these will no longer be divisive issues in bilateral relations, he said.

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Indonesia ready to take control of FIR from Singapore

Fadli, The Jakarta Post 8 Oct 15;

Air Force commander Air Marshal Agus Supriatna has assured members of the Riau Islands Legislative Council (DPRD Riau) that Indonesia is ready to take control of the flight information region (FIR) over the province from Singapore.

The secretary of the council’s Commission III on legal and security affairs, Surya Makmur Nasution said Supriatna told the DPRD members that the country was ready to handle the FIR when councilors arrive to visit the Air Force headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday.

“Our equipment is ready to manage the civil flights. The Air Force commander told us that Indonesia is ready to take over and we would take control of it from Singapore in 2019,” Surya told The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the meeting.

A FIR is a specified region of airspace in which flight information and alert services (ALRS) are provided. Singapore has been managing the FIR over the Riau Islands area since 1946. Indonesia has been trying since 1993 to take over the airspace without success.

Singapore controls the airspace that reaches 110 nautical miles from its position, covering Batam, Dumai and Natuna islands. The Singapore-controlled airspace is divided into three sectors: Sector A covers Batam airspace, Sector B covers Tanjung Pinang and Karimun and Sector C covers Natuna.

According to Surya, if the airspace control was fully returned to Indonesia, it would generate additional revenue for the Riau Islands from planes flying over the province before they landed in Singapore’s Changi Airport.

“We saw the potential revenue for the province. But, firstly, we are pushing that the airspace be fully controlled by Indonesia,” he said.

Earlier, Batam’s Hang Nadim International Airport general affairs head Suwarso said local authorities had followed up an instruction from President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo who requested that Indonesia take over the FIR.

“It’s now in process. The discussion [of the takeover] could be conducted as early as 2020, according to the schedule decided by ICAO [International Civil Aviation Organization],” Suwarso said.

As another step toward the FIR takeover, Indonesia had established special air navigation (AirNav) that managed airspace in the country, Suwarso added.

Since Jan. 1 this year, he said, Hang Nadim airport had collected flight service fees from Singapore worth an average Rp 3 billion (US$214,285) per month and handed over the money to AirNav.

“In the future, when the airspace is taken over, Indonesia will collect the service fee from planes flying over our airspace. The amount could be bigger [than Rp 3 billion],” he added.

Suwarso also said that state airport operators PT Angkasa Pura I and II had rejuvenated their air navigation equipment, giving training to officers who would control the airspace.

“Batam will become a base for the FIR control room,” he added.

The planned takeover was in accordance with Law No. 1/2009 on aviation, which stipulates that airspace above Indonesia must be controlled by the Indonesian government and that the country must take back airspace controlled by foreign parties within 15 years from the law being enacted.

Indonesia has reportedly held meetings with Singapore dozens of times, asking the city state to return control of the airspace. But the meetings had been fruitless as Indonesia had not been capable of lobbying the neighboring country, sources in Hang Nadim airports said.

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Singapore needs to diversify food sources, raise local food production: Desmond Lee

Singapore must diversify its food sources and raise local food production, "to buffer against the uncertainty of overseas sources" where it imports most of its food from, says Senior Minister of State for National Development and Home Affairs Desmond Lee.
Liyana Othman Channel NewsAsia 9 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE: The Republic must diversify its food sources and raise local food production, "to buffer against the uncertainty of overseas sources" where it imports most of its food from, said Senior Minister of State for National Development and Home Affairs Desmond Lee.

Speaking at the inaugural Institution of Aquaculture Singapore Conference on Thursday (Oct 8), Mr Lee said: "For example, every now and then, Malaysia, which provides around a quarter of our fish supply, bans the export of certain fish for various reasons. So it is always good to have at least some level of self-sufficiency in certain food items."

There are plans to raise the number of locally produced fish from 8 per cent to 15 per cent.

To do so, Mr Lee said the aquaculture industry needs to leverage in innovation and technology to boost productivity in fish farms. By doing so, farmers and their produce can also be better protected from environmental risks such as the plankton bloom that wiped out 600 tonnes of fish in local waters in March this year.

The incident has prompted Temasek Polytechnic's School of Applied Science and the Agri-food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) to come up with workshops to help farmers develop contingency plans against another possible plankton bloom.

The conference will also touch on other issues impacting the aquaculture industry - the fastest growing food production sector in the world.

- CNA/dl

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New 3D map of the island for better maintenance of public greenery

LAURA ELIZABETH PHILOMIN Today Online 8 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE — The Municipal Services Office (MSO) has worked with several government agencies to create a first-ever consolidated map of public green spaces to improve centralised maintenance of these areas by the National Parks Board (NParks).

The map was created by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) with NParks, PUB and the Housing and Development Board (HDB), using geospatial technology.

By capturing, storing and presenting geographical spatial information through Geospatial Information Science and Technology, the SLA has been able create terrain models, photo maps and three-dimensional (3D) models among others, including data on public green spaces.

The overview of greenery areas provided in this map will help to identify gaps or overlaps in maintenance, and improve maintenance schedules. For example, NParks will be able to estimate the number and location of trees that it will need to maintain.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a visit to SLA today (Oct 8), Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu, who oversees MSO, said this information will provide the public with quicker agency response as well as better harmonisation of maintenance operations.

MSO also hopes to share geotagging technology with other agencies, breaking down silos in operations, information sharing and capability building, to bring about higher productivity and more responsive customer service, said Ms Fu.

“Having this mapping of data, with the different layers - there’s a layer of greenery, a layer of building, a layer of footpaths, a layer of bus stops and taxi stands - actually allow us to understand more holistically the living environment we’re maintaining,” she added.


SLA provides 'green map' for NParks
Nur Asyiqin Mohamad Salleh, Straits Times AsiaOne 10 oct 15;

No green patch in developed areas of the island will be left untended, thanks to technology.

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) is lending its high-tech mapping know-how to help agencies here better maintain public greenery, the National Development Ministry said yesterday.

This comes just months after the National Parks Board (NParks), which the ministry oversees, became the central agency for the maintenance of public greenery - a task previously handled by different agencies, depending on which one owns the land.

The move to centralise the maintenance of greenery here in June was part of a push to better coordinate government responses to problems on the ground. It is led by the Municipal Services Office (MSO), which was formed last year.

Since then, MSO has worked with NParks, SLA, national water agency PUB and the Housing Board to create a tool to clearly mark out green areas on a map of Singapore. It will help identify gaps or overlaps in maintenance routines and allow NParks to better plan maintenance schedules. NParks will also be able to tap on a 3D map developed by SLA to estimate the number and locations of trees.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu, who oversees the MSO, told reporters during a visit to SLA yesterday that greater use of technology in managing municipal issues will help the Government boost productivity and the delivery of services.

And with one agency providing the "backbone of mapping", Ms Fu hopes to see other agencies come on board so this technology can be shared. "In the future we're going to face more demand on social services, but with fewer people. So, having that productivity improvement, (and making) a quantum leap, is what the public service is striving for," she said.

Ms Fu is also keen on having more people make use of MSO's OneService mobile app, which has received more than 15,000 submissions from its launch in January up to the end of August. Residents can use it to report municipal issues, from pests to dirty footpaths, and geo-tag or pinpoint the issue's location.

Said SLA chief executive Tan Boon Khai: "With all this data out there, residents will be able to give us precise locations so we can allocate the resources efficiently and quickly to deal with their needs."

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Activists say AVA not doing enough in case of chained dog

KELLY NG Today Online 9 Oct 15;

SINGAPORE — A chained pet dog at Paya Ubi Industrial Park has sparked off yet another conflict between animal welfare groups and the authorities here, with activists saying the Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has “failed to protect the (dog’s) rights”.

The AVA, on the other hand, said it is necessary for pet dogs to be restrained for their own safety as well as that of the public.

A group petitioning for a ban on tethering dogs first brought up the case of Brutus — a name the group has given to the dog housed at Super Modern Car Accessories at Paya Ubi Industrial Park — to the AVA’s attention in July, raising concerns that it was “restrained on a five-foot leash all day and night”.

“Chaining Brutus in a deplorable and dangerous environment should constitute animal cruelty,” said Ms Anita Chew, who also started an online petition to legislate against chaining dogs. It has since received more than 2,500 supporters.

Ms Chew, whose offer to care for the dog was declined by its owner, said the dog was tied up outside the workshop within an area filled with metal scrap before AVA officers visited the workshop on Sept 28.

“We doubt the dog is exercised properly, he is slow and wobbly in his walk, which can be due to the lack of exercise from the years being tied up,” she added.

Following the AVA’s visit, its owner, who wanted to be known only as Mr Teo, had moved the dog into the workshop, and tied it with a two-metre leash to a small flight of stairs behind a desk.

Mr Teo told TODAY he had adopted the dog from a friend seven years ago as a newborn puppy, and had been caring for it in the workshop since.

Due to its “aggressive personality”, the dog needs to be chained up to prevent it from attacking customers and dirtying the industrial area.

“Several years ago, the management (of the industrial park) complained that he was pooping all over. He also got into fights with other dogs. One time, he was injured so badly I thought he was going to die ... we later chained him up,” Mr Teo said in Mandarin.

He added that the dog is fed roasted pork and taken out for walks twice daily.

In response to queries, the AVA said Mr Teo had, under the authority’s advice, relocated the dog to ensure that it has “sufficient room to move around”. It is now tethered with a leash “long enough such that the dog is able to lie down, stretch and move around the desk area”.

The AVA said: “Straying dogs may pose a threat to public safety. Pet owners who choose to tie or tether their pet dogs … should ensure that the area where the dog is tethered is safe and comfortable, and sufficiently sheltered and ventilated. (It) should also be clean and have adequate space for the dog to lie down, stretch and move unimpeded within the confines of the restraint.”

However, Ms Chew and fellow activists felt that the AVA was not doing enough in Brutus’ case. “AVA had an opportunity to send out a deterrent message to dog owners who do not provide adequate care for their dogs but failed to do so in this case,” the activists said in an email to TODAY.

While acknowledging the “different and difficult” role that AVA plays in ensuring public safety, several animal welfare groups believe that education and further dialogue among stakeholders are key in reaching a middle ground.

SOSD president Siew Tuck Wah noted that the authorities have been working more closely with activists over the past four years, citing the Animal Welfare Legislation Review in 2012 which involved consultation with various stakeholders.

“Animal lovers uphold very high standards of animal welfare ...The authorities have a more difficult role … they not only answer to the animals, but are more concerned with public safety. Hence, the authorities’ standards may sometimes be the minimum, which animal welfare groups may not think is enough,” he said.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’ (SPCA) executive director Corinne Fong said animal welfare groups are continually engaging with the authorities to “arrive at more humane practices over time”.

Ms Fong felt that the AVA should review the issue of chaining dogs, but noted that owners also have the responsibility for training their dogs to ensure the animals’ safety.

Action for Singapore Dogs founder Ricky Yeo also found the AVA slow to educate communities in industrial areas on sterilisation and care for stray dogs.

“They prefer to work on a knee-jerk reaction of responding only to complaints by trapping and then culling,” he said.

Animal Concerns Research & Education Society president Louis Ng, however, felt that legislation may not be feasible if enforcement is a challenge.

“If we have a law against chaining dogs, who will police it? It is important for education and awareness to build up so we don’t need to legislate these things ... I don’t think there is that big a gap (between the authorities and activists), they have different ways of getting to the same place,” he said.

According to Ms Fong, the SPCA came across 768 alleged abuse and alleged neglect cases involving animals in 2014. Between January and August this year, it encountered 561 alleged abuse and alleged neglect cases.

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Malaysia: “Illegal” beetle destroys RM6m worth of local plantation

FAZLEENA New Straits Times 8 Oct 15;

PUTRAJAYA: A total of 294 hectares of coconut plantation have been destroyed in Terengganu and Kelantan with losses amounting to RM6 million incurred caused by the Red Palm Weevil (RPW) beetle.

The RPW beetle according to Agriculture Department director-general Datuk Ahmad Zakaria Mohamed Sidek began emerging in the country after illegal date palm trees have been planted for landscape purposes since 2009 particularly in Perlis, Terengganu, Kelantan, Penang, Kedah, Malacca and Negri Sembilan.

Date palm trees are the main host for RPWs and promote the rapid breeding of the insect.

He said date palm trees are not suitable for the wet Malaysian climate especially for producing dates as it is more suited for the desert with its dry and hot weather.

“Planting these illegal date palm trees have led to the breeding of the RPW, and the beetles pose a threat if it continues to breed in the country.

“We are afraid if the RPW population increases, they will be moving on to our palm oil plantation for food and destroying them, as the (palm oil) trees are from the same palmae family similar to the date palm trees.

“We need to contain the situation before it spreads to other state especially in the south of Peninsula,” he said, adding the RPW eats the core and kills the tree within like cancer.

When asked how the date palm trees were brought into the country illegally, Zakaria said the trees were mostly probably smuggled via road crossing the northern borders into the country.

He added the department has never issued a permit for the date palm trees and no one is allowed to plant them in the country under Plant Quarantine Regulations 1981.

Locally, the RPW has been gazette as a Harmful Insects on July 19, 2011.

Those found violating the regulations could be fined RM1,000 or sentenced to one year prison or both under Section 14 (1) (e).

The department is urging those with the date palm trees and RPW to notify their nearest offices to allow the process of destroying the insects and trees immediately, Zakaria said.

“Our techniques using chemical poison, pheromone traps and culture control have helped in reducing the number of the insect’s attacks.

“We are monitoring the coconut plantation in Terengannu, Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor and Johor to contain and eliminate the problem.

“Date palm trees importers are urged to destroy them as soon as possible,” he said, adding they are looking at the matter seriously.

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Twenty nations vulnerable to climate change seek more action

Reuters Yahoo News 8 Oct 15;

LIMA (Reuters) - Twenty of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, from the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan to the Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, will form a new group on Thursday to press for tougher action to curb warming.

Draft documents for a meeting of finance ministers in Lima, Peru and seen by Reuters, said the 20 represented 700 million people in low- and middle-income nations that were arid, landlocked, mountainous or vulnerable to rising sea levels.

The Vulnerable 20 (V20) group's draft action plan will seek to "strengthen economic and financial cooperation and action to address climate change risks and opportunities" and promote a shift to a low-carbon global economy.

Goals would include "improved access to international climate change finance" to help cope with droughts, floods, melting glaciers and rising sea levels. They said one possibility was a tax on financial transactions.

The 20 said they accounted for just two percent of world greenhouse gas emissions but had suffered an average of more than 50,000 deaths a year since 2010 from impacts they linked to rising temperatures.

They estimated that they faced "escalating losses of at least 2.5 percent of our GDP potential per year, estimated at $45 billion since 2010."

Members will be Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Kiribati, Madagascar, Maldives, Nepal, Philippines, Rwanda, Saint Lucia, Tanzania, East Timor, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Vietnam.

They said they would also share experiences and work for a sovereign V20 Climate Risk Pooling Mechanism, an insurance facility to spread risks and help recovery after extreme weather events and disasters.

Ministers from the 20 nations are due to approve the documents before meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in Lima starting on Friday.

Renato Constantino, executive director of the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities non-governmental group, welcomed the formation of the V20.

He did not expect it to detract from existing groups, for instance of Least Developed Countries of the Alliance of Small Island States. "I don't think it complicates the work. I think it clarifies the agenda for developing countries," he said.

(Writing by Alister Doyle in Oslo; Editing by Tom Heneghan)

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EFSA report considers risks of eating insects

Mark Kinver BBC News 8 Oct 15;

The European Food Safety Authority has published its initial risk assessment of using insects as a source of protein for human consumption and animal feed.

It concluded that risks to human and animal health depended on how the insects were reared and processed.

The UN suggests that "edible insects" could provide a sustainable source of nutrition for a growing population.

The findings have been sent to the European Commission, which requested the EFSA risk assessment.

The report produced by a working group convened by the EFSA scientific committee, compiled a report that assessed "potential biological and chemical hazards, as well as allergenicity and environmental hazards, associated with farmed insects used in food and feed taking into account the entire chain, from farming to the final product".

It concluded that for biological and chemical hazards of using farmed insects for human consumption and in animal feed, the risks were dependent upon the form of husbandry being employed.

It observed: "The specific production methods, the substrate used, the stage of harvest, the insect species, as well as the methods used for further processing will all have an impact on the possible presence of biological and chemical contaminants in insect food and feed products."

As for the environmental risk posed by large-scale insect farming, the authors said it was expected to be comparable with other animal production systems.
They wrote: "The adoption of existing waste management strategies should be applicable for managing waste from insect production.

"Assessment of the individual production systems will determine the precise strategy to be adopted on a case by case basis."

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has been investigating the role "edible insects" can play in terms of increasing food and nutrition security in people's diet.

It observed: "Trends towards 2050 predict a steady population increase to nine billion, forcing an increased food/feed output from available agro-ecosystems resulting in an even greater pressure on the environment.

1,900 species eaten

"Scarcities of agricultural land, water, forest, fisheries and biodiversity resources, as well as nutrients and non-renewable energy are foreseen.

The FAO identified insects as a source of "high quality protein" and other nutrients, and had a "food conversion rate", meaning yields from harvesting insects required lower levels of inputs, such as feed and water.

It estimated that more than 1,900 species of insects are consumed on a regular basis by people around the world.

However, it is expected that the demand for mini-livestock within the EU will be limited to relatively few species, such as flies, moths, mealworms and crickets/locusts.

In its request to the EFSA, the Commission's Health and Consumers Directorate acknowledged that insects only accounted for a very small niche market in the EU but was aware that interest was growing.

EFSA scientific officer Tilemachos Goumperis said the initial assessment focused on identifying potential risks and hazards posed by insect farming and did not consider the issue of food and nutrition security.

He told BBC News that the working group identified a number of gaps in available data in a number of areas, such as human consumption, animal and pet consumption, viruses and allergens.

The report recommended: "Further research for better assessment of microbiological and chemical risks from insects and feed including studies on the occurrence of hazards when using particular substrates, like food waste and manure, is recommended."

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