Malaysia: Ecologists laud David Attenborough's letter to Sabah Chief Minister

MEI MEI CHU The Star 5 Mar 17;

PETALING JAYA: Ecologists in Malaysia have lauded Sir David Attenborough's (pic) letter to Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman urging the state to rethink the controversial Sukau Bridge, in an effort to save what's left of the Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary River.

According to The Guardian, Attenborough and BBC wildlife presenter Steve Backshall have joined local conservationists in lobbying for the RM223mil bridge to be scrapped.

"I have had many encounters with the magnificent and unique species with which your state is blessed …

"If this construction is allowed to go ahead, I am left in no doubt that the bridge will have significant negative effects on the region's wildlife, Kinabatangan's thriving tourism industry, and on the image of Sabah as a whole," Attenborough said in his letter to Musa.

Attenborough is loved for his wildlife documentaries and conservation work, but he rarely interferes with a country's domestic policy – which makes his letter all the more important, local conservationists say.

"He is known worldwide and respected. His voice carries weight and is important in critical issues like this," said Dr Ahimsa Campos-Arceiz, principal investigator of the Management and Ecology of Malaysian Elephants.

"In Kinabatangan, you have orangutan, elephants, hornbills, and until recently, rhinos. It is surprisingly rich for its level of fragmentation.

"It doesn't make sense to fragment it any further (with the construction of the bridge)," he added.

Attenborough is one of the very few people in the world to have seen Borneo before logging and palm oil plantations took over, said Wong Siew Te, founder of the Borneo Sun Bear Conservation Centre.

"When Attenborough first visited Kinabatangan River in the 1950s to film the Nature Quest series, Kinabatangan was covered in rich low land rainforest. Over the years, he returned to do more shows and witnessed the forest's destruction.

"It must have been very frustrating for him to see the forest taken over by oil palm plantations. The Sukau Bridge is the last straw," said Wong.

The Federal Government's road and bridge project will see the construction of a 100m bridge across the Kinabatangan River in the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, while a dirt road will also be paved, potentially increasing traffic to the area.

The road aims to create better accessibility between five remote coastal villages and the Sukau township where the nearest hospital is located.

Sukau assemblyman Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman has said there had been at least 10 deaths amongst villagers as the hospital is two hours away.

"We are concerned about our wildlife but we also cannot ignore the needs of people there," he said in January, adding that the Environmental Impact Assessment study is expected to be approved.

However, conservationists argue that the bridge will further endanger the already threatened wildlife population here and disrupt the migratory routes of the rare Bornean pygmy elephant.

Even State Tourism, Culture and Environment Assistant Minister Datuk Pang Nyuk Ming has asked the state government to re-evaluate the project.

The state cannot ignore the implications of the project and the concerns raised by local and international conservationists, he said in January.

"The bridge is an example of bad development – the type of development a country like Malaysia should avoid at this point," Dr Campos-Arceiz said, adding that the new road would directly affect the pygmy elephants' home range.

"The road can increase human-elephant conflict, with elephants entering the roads and plantations along it," he said.

There are also concerns that the new road will create access for illegal poaching, logging, slash-and-burn agriculture, and more oil palm plantations.

Despite objections from local non-governmental organisations such as the Sime Darby Foundation, preliminary construction work for the bridge has reportedly begun.

Which is why Dr Campos-Arceiz and Wong hope that the Sabah chief minister will listen to Attenborough's letter and take action.

"This letter has been picked up by international media," Wong said, adding that he hoped the spotlight will pressure Sabah into halting the project.

"A lot of good work and effort have been put into conserving the wildlife and local community.

"This Sukau bridge will hurt everything we've achieved in the past 20 years; all the good will be gone," he added.

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Polluted environments kill 1.7 million children a year: WHO

Reuters 5 Mar 17;

A quarter of all global deaths of children under five are due to unhealthy or polluted environments including dirty water and air, second-hand smoke and a lack or adequate hygiene, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.

Such unsanitary and polluted environments can lead to fatal cases of diarrhea, malaria and pneumonia, the WHO said in a report, and kill 1.7 million children a year.

"A polluted environment is a deadly one -– particularly for young children," WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said in a statement. "Their developing organs and immune systems, and smaller bodies and airways, make them especially vulnerable to dirty air and water."

In the report -- "Inheriting a sustainable world: Atlas on children's health and the environment" -- the WHO said harmful exposure can start in the womb, and then continue if infants and toddlers are exposed to indoor and outdoor air pollution and second-hand smoke.

This increases their childhood risk of pneumonia as well as their lifelong risk of chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma. Air pollution also increases the lifelong risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer, the report said.

The report also noted that in households without access to safe water and sanitation, or that are polluted with smoke from unclean fuels such as coal or dung for cooking and heating, children are at higher risk of diarrhea and pneumonia.

Children are also exposed to harmful chemicals through food, water, air and products around them, it said.

Maria Neira, a WHO expert on public health, said this was a heavy toll, both in terms of deaths and long-term illness and disease rates. She urged governments to do more to make all places safe for children.

Sanofi, Regeneron say latest Dupixent eczema drug tests positive
"Investing in the removal of environmental risks to health, such as improving water quality or using cleaner fuels, will result in massive health benefits," she said.

(Reporting by Kate Kelland, editing by Jeremy Gaunt)

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Saving water: Go beyond tackling costs to enhance public education

TOH EE MING Today Online 4 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE — Getting Singaporeans to cut down on their water usage should not be done through a “carrot-and-stick” approach alone, green groups here said, as they called for more concerted, long-term efforts to help the population learn to be more caring towards the resource.

Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat announced in his Budget speech that water prices would rise by 30 per cent from July 2018, with the first of two rounds of water price hikes to kick in this July. Responding to the outcry over this move, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said in Parliament on Wednesday (March 1) that water has to be priced fully as it is a matter of national security, and consumers “must feel the price of water” to realise its value.

However, when it comes to getting people to treat water as a precious resource, Mr Tan Yi Han, co-founder of non-governmental organisation People’s Movement to Stop Haze, called for new ways to tackle the issue and not just to increase cost. He bemoaned that public education on water conservation is still quite “lacking” here, and suggested that environmental groups offer “targeted advice” and tips that people may readily adopt.

“(It’s not effective) to tell someone who is already taking short showers to cut down even more,” Mr Tan said. “Rather, give them advice on buying the right kind of washing machine, or new technologies to adopt at home which can (significantly cut down) on water usage.”

He also suggested having water-rationing exercises, because its proven educational value outweighed its inconvenience.

“The Government has to decide ... if stronger interventions like (water rationing) are needed to change behaviour ... because the risk is that even if you increase the price, people might not change their ways… so the same amount of water continues to be used,” he added.

The older generation in Singapore would know the value of water because they had to face water scarcity in the early days of the country’s development, one observer said, adding that the younger generation did not have to face such callenges. Dr Adil Dhalla, deputy director of the Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University, said: “The biggest misconception (the younger generation has) is that water-saving habits are just ‘nice to do’, when they are absolutely vital to the nation’s water security, and should be inculcated as part of our behavioural DNA.”

Singaporeans who spoke to TODAY expressed grudging acceptance towards having to pay more for water, though many said that they did not plan to change their habits because they felt they were already not using much water.

Mr Shawn Lim, 29, an army personnel who lives in a four-room flat and who pays about $50 monthly for water, does not intend to cut down on consumption. “We can’t change a lot. We still need to use a certain amount daily so (imposing prices) might not change the way people behave,” he said.

System analyst Vincent Tan, 59, who has four people in his household living in a maisonette unit and whose monthly utility bill is about $100, already has a habit of saving water where possible. “The water-rationing exercises in the past impacted us and we remember how precious the water was… But now, our Government keeps talking about NEWater, or desalination plants, so the people, like the young, become complacent and think that we have enough, so they don’t need to worry.”

While water-rationing might seem “drastic”, it could instil a sense of urgency, he added. “If you ask them to pay another S$20 to S$30, it might not make such a difference to them, people get used to it and will start wasting water again.”

Certainly, the price hike is not an issue with sales specialist Tan Han Yang, 27, because his parents foot the utility bills. He said: “For our parents, water was a privilege ... but for the younger generation, water (has been coming) readily from the tap as far as we know ... so they just go about (thinking), ‘I don’t need to save water, and I’m just going to continue with my life’.”


Singapore must be prepared to face water shortages: DPM Teo
Nur Afifah Ariffin Channel NewsAsia 4 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE: Singapore must be prepared psychologically to face water shortages if its reservoirs dry up and when the second water agreement with Malaysia ends in 2061, said DPM Teo Chee Hean on Saturday (Mar 4).

At present, imported water meets half of Singapore’s water needs. But water levels in Johor’s Linggiu Reservoir are falling. There is also the danger of prolonged dry weather, Mr Teo said.

As such, water has been a strategic priority for Singapore.

Speaking to 4,000 people at the launch of the Singapore World Water Day on Saturday morning, Mr Teo said the Government has invested heavily to develop local water sources like expanding water catchment areas and deploying new technologies.

“We have been fortunate over the past few years to benefit from advances in technology – NEWater and membrane-based desalination. These alternative water resources are not dependent on rainfall and have helped to supplement our traditional water resources,” he said.

Singapore has invested about S$430 million per year in water infrastructure since 2000. This will double to S$800 million per year over the next five years.

HOW MUCH DOES WATER COST IN SINGAPORE?

A 330ml bottle of water, which one can get from any supermarket, costs less than S$1. In contrast, that same amount of money will pay for 1,000 bottles of clean water from the tap after the full water price increase of 30 per cent has been phased in over the next two years.

“Our price of water from your tap is comparable to that in major cities. Many of them have large rivers and lakes to draw from. We have none of these natural sources of our own. According to the World Resources Institute, if we just left things to nature, we are the most water-stressed country in the world,” said DPM Teo.

Singapore's efforts to ensure its people have water have shown the country's resilience and determination to survive and thrive, he added.

- CNA/dl


MP calls on Govt to prevent profiteering from water fee hike
NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 5 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE — Bring back a committee against profiteering to ensure that establishments such as coffee shops do not profiteer by raising prices using water fee hikes as an excuse, Member of Parliament (Nee Soon GRC) Lee Bee Wah said on Sunday (March 5).

Speaking to reporters after a residents’ dialogue with Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, Ms Lee said: “I’d like to urge the Government, especially the Ministry of Trade and Industry, to look into cases where coffee shops increase prices now.”

The ministry could investigate whether any increases since the water price hikes were announced on Feb 20 were justifiable, said Ms Lee, who noted that water prices were going up in two phases only on July 1 this year and next.

Such a committee was previously set up in 1994 to look into complaints and feedback on establishments that were allegedly profiteering by using increases in Goods and Services Tax as an excuse.

“It’s timely to activate the committee so that residents can use WhatsApp to feed back, and it can go investigate,” said Ms Lee, echoing a call by fellow MP Lim Biow Chuan during the Budget debate.

If checks on any coffee shops that raised prices after Feb 20 are not done, then other businesses may follow suit, added Ms Lee, who termed price increases of even 10 cents for coffee on the basis of higher water prices as “too much”.

This is because the 30 per cent increase in water prices translates into users paying 60 cents more per 1,000 litres of water, which is enough for about 5,000 cups of coffee, she said.

At the dialogue at Nee Soon South Community Club, which took place before an International Women’s Day health talk in the constituency, Mr Shanmugam highlighted the need for Singapore to balance expenditure and income.

“In every country, people want to pay less tax, and they want more from the Government. But it doesn’t work ... In the end, we have to pay for what we use,” he said.

“We use the money very carefully, but after 2020, if you look at the pattern — government expenditure is high, health care, social welfare and so on, housing — we have to find ways of increasing the income.”

He noted that the Government’s expenditure exceeds its operating revenue. The returns on Singapore’s reserves supplement the annual Budget through the Net Investment Returns Contribution.

Singaporeans must continue working hard because the country has no oil or other natural resources to tap, he said.

“This is why the Government has told the people we have to work together, number one. Number two, we have to work very hard. There’s no choice for Singapore,” said Mr Shanmugam.

“People say we can relax, we’re now a First World country, we tax the rich and we pay for everybody else. But why would the rich stay here if they can go somewhere else? How much can you tax the rich? So we all have to work hard.”

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Indonesia: Floods hit five districts in Riau Province

Antara 5 Mar 17;

Pekanbaru, Riau (ANTARA News) - Floods have hit five districts in Riau Province, affecting 2,469 homes, as several rivers overflowed their banks following incessant downpour.

The flood-affected districts were Rokan Hulu, Palalawan, Kampar, Kuantan Sangigi, and Indragiri Hulu, Syarifudin, head of the Riau social affairs office, stated here, Saturday.

In Rokan Hulu, floods submerged over 1.9 thousand homes in four villages: Lubuk Ingu and Cipang Kanan in Rokan IV Koto Sub-district and Muara Nikum as well as Surau Munai in Rambah Hilir Sub-district.

The four villages were isolated, as the flooding also destroyed a bridge that connected the villages with other cities.

In Pelalawan, floods affected the villages of Lubuk Kemang Bunga and Air Hitam in Ukui Sub-district.

In Kampar District, floods inundated five villages in Gugung Sahilan Sub-district and Koto Tuo Village in the XIII Koto Kampar Sub-district.

In Kuantan Sangingi, three sub-districts -- Kuantan Mudik, Gunung Toar, and Hulu Kuatan -- were flooded.

In Indragiri Hulu, floods submerged Semelinang Darat in Indragiri Hulu Sub-district and Lubuk Batu Jaya Village in Peranap Sub-district.

Indonesia is currently experiencing rainy season that peaks in late February and March, causing floods in several provinces.(*)

5 killed in W Sumatra`s landslides
Antara 5 Mar 17;

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Floods and landslides triggered by heavy rains in Limapuluh Kota district, West Sumatra province, have killed five people and injured two others seriously, the National Disaster Mitigation Board (BNPB) said.

"The BPBD (the local disaster mitigation agency) is still assessing (the extent of damage)," Chief of the BNPB Data and Information Center and Public Relations Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said here on Saturday.

The fatalities are identified as Doni Fernandes (31), Teja (19), Yogi Saputra (23), Muklis alias Ujang (45) and Karudin (25), while the injured are identified as Syamsul Bahri (22) and Candra (42).

Efforts to mitigate the impact of the flood and landslide have been made since the disaster affected the district on Friday, he said.

The heavy rains caused Sumpur River to overflow its bank and landslides in several areas.

The floods and landslides affected the eight sub-districts of Pangkalan, Kapur IX, Mungka, Harau, Payakumbuh, Lareh Sago Halaban, Sulikik and Empat Barisan.

Sutopo said hundreds of houses were flooded, including 150 houses in Jorong Ranah Pasar, 50 in Jorong Ranah Baru and 50 in Jorong Abai.

"Five hamlets were isolated. The West Sumatra-Riau highway is cut off," he said.(*)

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SAFTI City 'the size of Bishan' to be built for army training

The current SAFTI training area will be revamped over a decade into SAFTI City - a realistic simulation environment the size of Bishan town.
Channel NewsAsia 3 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE: The Singapore Armed Forces’ (SAF) western SAFTI training area will be revamped into a new “SAFTI City” over a decade and at a cost of about S$900 million, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen in Parliament on Friday (Mar 3).

“Singapore has finite land and we are building new training facilities overseas,” he said. But at the same time, we must have world-class training facilities in Singapore itself. We must guard against over-dependence on overseas training grounds. It is not possible for all our NSmen to only train overseas as the bulk of our training is still conducted locally, especially for our Army.”

Noting that modern warfare and peacekeeping missions alike are now much more likely to take place in built-up cities instead, Dr Ng said: “The new SAFTI City will allow any battalion to fight across different terrains successively as they will do in real-life missions. It will therefore have both urban and conventional terrain. In the urban setting there will be low houses and high-rise buildings. In the open terrain - jungles, hills and rivers to cross.”

“But the signature change will be that state-of-the-art training simulation technologies will be designed into new physical facilities to replicate distinct operating environments.”

SAFTI City will span 88 hectares, about the size of Bishan town, and comprises two sectors of extensive road networks and more than 200 buildings.

The first sector, located at the northern edge of the Poyan Reservoir, will prepare soldiers for Island Defence competencies in places like Jurong Island, against a backdrop of a petrochemical complex, warehouses, container parks and industrial buildings.

The second sector focuses on training homeland security, disaster relief and civil contingency response operations. It will simulate Singapore’s dense urban environment through basement carparks, dense clusters of shophouses, high-rise interconnected buildings, a bus interchange, an underground MRT station with multiple surface exits, low-rise residences and rubble.

SAFTI City will also be equipped with Battlefield Instrumentation and video cameras to allow real-time tracking of the servicemen’s and unit’s combat actions. The data will be collated and processed using intelligent analytics software and packaged into learning materials.

Added Dr Ng: “There will be interactive targets and battlefield effects such as artillery attacks that will allow our soldiers to train more realistically and provide feedback about how well they performed. When completed, SAFTI City will take our NS training onto a much higher level of realism and effectiveness.”

OPTIMISING TRAINING ON LIMITED LAND

In the areas surrounding SAFTI City, three new Instrumented Battle Circuits (iBACs) will be developed in existing SAF training areas in Pasir Laba, Ama Keng and Murai.

The iBACs address Singapore’s space constraints with design and landscapes to allow intensified and more efficient training in smaller plots of land.

They come with features like interactive avatars as well as simulated artillery bombardment and airstrikes to create realistic and immersive training environments to train small-unit fighting skills, said Dr Ng. “Different scenarios can be configured for both peacetime contingency and conventional military operations,” he added.

The Pasir Laba iBAC will facilitate light, motorised and mechanised infantry training for up to three companies and feature platoon battle courses.

Meanwhile, Ama Keng can accommodate concurrent training in mounted operations by two platoons, and allow soldiers to execute battle drills from on-board combat vehicles such as the Terrex Infantry Carrier Vehicles, Bionix Infantry Fighting Vehicle and the Leopard 2A4 Main Battle Tank.

Murai’s iBAC will feature nine section-level battle lanes for infantry sections to train their cognitive and psychomotor skills using customised mission scenarios.

SOLDIER STRONG

Second Minister for Defence Ong Ye Kung also announced that a new Centre of Excellence for Soldier Performance (CESP) will be operational at the end of 2017.

“This centre will focus on fitness regimes, soldier nutrition, pre-habilitation regimes to prevent injuries, and rehabilitation to help injured national servicemen recover,” said Mr Ong. “The centre will also integrate training packages on resilience to enhance the mental strength of our soldiers.”

The CESP will provide a comprehensive and scientific approach through programmes and methods developed by research specialists. It will also look at enhancing soldier performance during training and other operational uses, by collecting anthropometric data to allow the SAF to design systems that are more ergonomic.

MINDEF also said the CESP would look into fitness and recovery programmes to support soldiers after full-time National Service.


'City' the size of Bishan to be built for SAF training
KENNETH CHENG Today Online 3 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE — From dense clusters of shophouses to low-rise residences, a sprawling military training facility the size of Bishan will be built southwest of Lim Chu Kang, in an effort to ramp up training realism for soldiers.

The 88-ha Singapore Armed Forces Training Institute (Safti) City will span more than 200 buildings and extensive road networks, allowing soldiers to train for operations from homeland security to counter-terrorism, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen announced in Parliament on Friday (March 3).

The S$900 million facility will be constructed over a decade. Split into two sectors, its first sector will be devoted to training servicemen in island defence competencies, such as coastal defence operations.

Located at the northern edge of the Poyan Reservoir, this sector will comprise elements such as a petrochemical complex, warehouses and container parks.

The second sector, devoted to sharpening competencies in homeland security and urban operations, will have urban features to simulate the dense environment of Singapore’s commercial residential areas.

These include high-rise interconnected buildings, low-rise residences, an MRT station with multiple exits and a bus interchange. It will also allow the Army to train servicemen for disaster-relief operations, as well as for civil contingencies like floods to support the Home Affairs Ministry.

Through it all, a serviceman and unit’s combat actions will be tracked in real-time using battlefield instrumentation and video cameras. Data amassed will be put through intelligent analytics software and packaged into learning materials, for effective training debriefs.

For more realistic training, the facility will also be armed with battlefield-effect simulators to bring about an immersive environment for training.

Meanwhile, three battle circuits will also be developed in existing SAF training spaces in western Singapore. They will be situated in the Pasir Laba and Ama Keng training areas, and the Murai Urban Training Facility (MUTF).

Allowing up to three infantry companies to train at the same time, the Pasir Laba circuit will be designated for light, motorised and mechanised infantry operations. It will feature, among other things, battle courses where platoons can hone their drills for attack and defence scenarios.

The Ama Keng circuit will allow motorised or mechanised infantry platoons to do drill-based training, enabling two such platoons to train concurrently. The battle drills include ambush drills and securing and clearing mine clusters.

Finally, an existing MUTF sector will transform to feature nine section-level battle lanes, which can run concurrently, enabling light and motorised infantry sections to hone their cognitive and psychomotor skills while operating in a complex urban space.

With more motorised and mechanised SAF units pushing up the Army’s land-use needs to conduct training, these battle circuits allow intensified and more efficient training in smaller spaces.

Apart from greater realism and interactivity — with features such as simulated artillery bombardment and airstrikes and interactive virtual avatars — these battle circuits will also have an improved battlefield-monitoring system. Tapping data analytics and user-centric debriefing tools, it will be able to provide objective feedback on soldiers’ and units’ training to improve performance.

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Industries and vehicles add to bad air days

Audrey Tan Straits Times 3 Mar 17;

Forest fires in the region are not the only source of Singapore's bad air days. A new study has suggested that domestic pollution may also be responsible for hazy skies.

The study by Dr Lee Hsiang-He from the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (Smart) suggested that, on average, about one-third of the low-visibility days in Singapore were caused by pollutants from forest fires, called fire aerosols.

Her findings were published in the scientific journal Atmospheric Chemistry And Physics.

While the study did not identify the other sources of pollution, Dr Lee has some theories, which she plans to explore.

"The pollution could also be partially coming from local sources, such as emissions from industries, the maritime sector or even vehicles. The next step in our research is to pinpoint the exact sources, so measures can be taken to reduce emissions," said the post-doctoral associate at Smart's Centre for Environmental Sensing and Modelling.

Dr Lee worked on the study with two colleagues from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States.

The burning of forests in South-east Asia has for decades been pinpointed as the source of bad air quality in Singapore and the region.

But Dr Lee said these fires have had a varying impact in various parts of South-east Asia, due to factors such as general wind direction, local weather conditions and the location of the fires.

For example, Bangkok often receives smoke haze from fires on mainland South-east Asia, which includes Malaysia and Cambodia.

Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, on the other hand, are affected mainly by forest fires raging in Sumatra, whereas Kuching in Sarawak gets haze from forest fires in Borneo.

Using visibility data from Changi Airport, Dr Lee found that Singapore experienced an average of 96 low-visibility days every year over a 12-year period from 2003 to 2014.

These are defined as days when it is not possible to see beyond 10km. Low-visibility days due to rain are excluded from this count.

Dr Lee then sought to clarify how many of these days were caused by fire aerosols. This was done by inputting fire-emission data - taken from two burning emission databases compiled by research organisations in the US - using a weather research and forecasting model.

The model is able to trace the pathways of fire aerosols under the different weather conditions over past years.

It showed that in Singapore, 34 per cent of the 96 bad air days experienced yearly over the period were due to fire aerosols.

This was also the case for other parts of South-east Asia.

The model also showed that about half of the 200 low-visibility days experienced yearly in cities such as Jakarta, Bangkok, Hanoi and Yangon were caused by fire aerosols.

However, Dr Lee pointed out that the fire emissions might have been underestimated.

Since the study considered only emissions from fires, she plans to conduct further research to quantify the impact of local sources, such as industries.

"But, overall, the results suggest that in order to improve air quality in South-east Asia, besides reducing or even prohibiting planned or unplanned fires, mitigation policies targeting pollution sources other than fires also need to be implemented," said Dr Lee.

Tiny pollutant particles known as PM2.5 are dominant during periods of haze. These particles are 30 times smaller than the diameter of a strand of human hair and are what make haze dangerous, as they are small enough to enter the bloodstream and be carried to the organs.

In 2015, when Singapore experienced the worst haze on record, the National Environment Agency said that visibility does not directly correlate with PM2.5 concentration levels, as other chemical compounds or reactions and weather factors may be involved.

Dr Lee's findings were consistent with these observations, said a spokesman for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (MEWR).

"PM2.5 is contributed not only by transboundary haze, but also by domestic sources, with vehicles and industries being the two largest domestic contributors," noted the spokesman.

Measures have been implemented recently to curb domestic pollution. These include the tightening of emission standards for new vehicles and industries, as well as the introduction of incentive schemes to promote early retirement of old diesel commercial vehicles.

"The recent announcement in this year's Budget statement on the extension and enhancement of the Early Turnover Scheme will help encourage the retirement of older and more pollutive diesel commercial vehicles and buses," added the spokesman.

More details on this will be released at MEWR's Committee of Supply debate this month.

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2015 haze: NEA still investigating Asia Pulp and Paper suppliers

Channel NewsAsia 2 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE: The National Environment Agency (NEA) is still investigating four Indonesian suppliers of Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), which was allegedly linked to the forest fires that caused severe haze in Singapore in 2015.

In an update to the media on Thursday (Mar 2), NEA said the four companies - PT Bumi Andalas Permai, PT Bumi Mekar Hijau, PT Sebangun Bumi Andalas Woods Industries and PT Rimba Hutani Mas - have not responded to its letters despite repeated reminders.

Information provided by APP "has been limited", NEA added.

A director from one of the companies listed was served with a notice to be interviewed by NEA while he was in Singapore, but failed to turn up for the interview, the agency said previously.

"In accordance with the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act's legal provisions, NEA has obtained a court warrant to secure his attendance when he next enters Singapore. This means that if the director enters Singapore, he may be detained by NEA for investigations," it said.

The agency added that it will also seek to interview the directors of the other companies if they entered Singapore.

"NEA has also written to Asia Pulp and Paper pursuant to Section 10 of the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act to request information on the four suppliers," the update said. "These four cases remain open and NEA will continue its investigations."

TWO CASES CLOSED FOLLOWING INVESTIGATIONS

Another two companies, PT Bumi Sriwijaya Sentosa and PT Wachyuni Mandira, interviewed by NEA said they had no links to the affected areas before the 2015 forest fires. After further investigations, NEA accepted their explanations and closed the two cases, it said.

Minister for Environment and Water Resources Masagos Zulkifli said last year during the Committee of Supply debate that NEA sent notices to six Indonesia-based companies following the haze in 2015. Even if the errant company's officers are foreigners, they have to comply with Singapore's laws if they enter the country, he said.

- CNA/dl


NEA clears 2 firms, warrant issued for director in haze probe
Today Online 2 Mar 17;

SINGAPORE — The National Environment Agency (NEA) has cleared two of six companies investigated for their role in causing the transboundary haze in 2015.

A court warrant, however, has been issued to detain a director of one of the remaining four firms being investigated the next time he enters Singapore.

In an update on its investigations into the fires which caused the 2015 haze under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA), the NEA said it has closed its case against PT Bumi Sriwijaya Sentosa and PT Wachyuni Mandira after investigating and accepting their explanations that they were no longer associated with the affected concession lands before the fires started in 2015.

The cases against the remaining four Indonesia companies — PT Bumi Andalas Permai, PT Bumi Mekar Hijau, PT Sebangun Bumi Andalas Woods Industries and PT Rimba Hutani Mas — remain open as they have not responded to the NEA’s letters despite repeated reminders.

The NEA has also obtained a court warrant to detain an unnamed director of one of the four companies for investigations the next time he enters the Republic.

This director had been served with a THPA notice to be interviewed by the agency when he was in Singapore, but he failed to turn up. The NEA said it will continue to seek to interview other directors of these companies if they enter the country.

As these four companies are suppliers to Asia Pulp & Paper (APP), the NEA added that under the THPA, it had written to APP to ask for information about the four suppliers.

“The information provided by APP to date has been limited and more information is still being sought from them for NEA’s investigations into these four companies,” said the
agency.

Under the THPA, entities which cause or contribute to unhealthy levels of haze in Singapore could be fined up to S$2 million.


Haze-linked firm 'opaque with information'
Audrey Tan, The Straits Times AsiaOne 3 Mar 17;

Asia Pulp and Paper (APP), one of the Indonesian companies blamed for the record-breaking haze that affected Singapore in 2015, has not provided enough information to the Singapore authorities investigating the fires.

APP has been opaque with information, despite the National Environment Agency's 17-month investigation under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act into the firms believed to be responsible for the haze, said a spokesman yesterday.

In September 2015, at the height of the worst haze episode to plague Singapore, the NEA served APP a legal notice under Section 10 of the Act, requesting information on four of its suppliers, as fires had been detected on their lands. APP has an office in Singapore.

"The information provided by APP to date has been limited and more information is still being sought from them for NEA's investigations into these four companies," said an NEA spokesman.

The Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, passed in Parliament in August 2014, targets those responsible for causing or condoning fires if burning results in unhealthy levels of haze here.

It was wielded for the first time in 2015, with the NEA serving legal notices to a total of six Indonesian companies under Section 9 of the Act, asking them to take immediate measures to stop the fires that caused the haze.

Number of Indonesian companies the NEA served legal notices to in 2015 under Section 9 of the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, asking them to take immediate measures to stop the fires that caused the haze.

The four APP suppliers - Bumi Andalas Permai, Bumi Mekar Hijau, Sebangun Bumi Andalas Woods Industries and Rimba Hutani Mas - were among the six.

The other two were Bumi Sriwijaya Sentosa and Wachyuni Mandira. NEA said yesterday that both companies have responded to the notices, saying they were no longer associated with the affected lands before the fires occurred in 2015.

"Following NEA's further investigation based on the information provided, NEA accepted these explanations and closed these two cases," said the spokesman.

He declined to provide details of how the claims of both companies were verified.

He added that the four APP suppliers, however, have not responded to NEA's letters despite repeated reminders.

The letters were sent under Section 9 of the Act, and had requested that the companies take immediate measures to stop the fires that caused the haze.

NEA said it will seek to interview the directors of these companies if they enter Singapore.

One of them had already been served with a notice to be interviewed by NEA when he was in Singapore. However, he failed to turn up for the interview.

The NEA has since obtained a court warrant, which means that if the director enters Singapore, he may be detained by NEA for investigations.

The move to issue the court warrant was first announced last May, prompting Indonesian Foreign Ministry official Arrmanatha Nasir to say then that his government was not in favour of the law.

APP declined to comment on NEA's charge that it did not provide enough information.

Those found guilty under the Act can be fined up to $100,000 a day for causing unhealthy haze, defined as a 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index value of 101 or greater for 24 hours or more. The fine is capped at a total of $2 million.

Ms Zhang Wen of Singapore-based volunteer group People's Movement to Stop Haze said she hopes both NEA and APP can provide more clarity. "We understand that the investigation is ongoing, but if investigation findings are made accessible, the public would have a clearer picture of whether the company is accountable for the haze," she said.

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Malaysia: Marine police fear for fish industry

The Star 3 Mar 17;

BALIK PULAU: Marine police confiscated more than RM18.3mil worth of fishing equipment and illegally netted seafood last year, said Bukit Aman head of administration (marine police) Senior Asst Comm Abdul Manaf Othman.

He said this included equipment and catches from Vietnamese and Thai vessels seized in 630 cases nationwide.

“The goods were confiscated because they were fishing in our waters.

“The amount seized this year is huge compared with that of the previous year of RM3.8mil. It is almost RM15mil more,” he told a press conference after a National Blue Ocean Strategy meeting with the Department of Fisheries at a restaurant in Batu Maung, Penang, yesterday.

Department of Fisheries’ Resources Protection Division head of enforcement Abdullah Jaafar said the use of destructive fishing equipment had resulted in the decline of fishery resources globally.

Abdullah said that among the destructive equipment used were trawlers (pukat tunda), push nets (pukat rawa sorong) and pukat buaya.

He said it was also illegal to use electricity, explosives and poisons.

“The threat to fishery resources is worrying,” he said.

Abdullah said that based on the department’s intelligence and calculations, there were around 1,100 illegal nets currently being used off the coasts of Penang, Perlis, Kedah, Perak and Selangor.

“We ask the fishermen to cooperate with us and understand the importance of taking care of our fishery resources.

“Destructive equipment, which is prohibited under the law, will damage the stock of juvenile fish that haven’t had the opportunity to grow,” he said.

He said noncompliance would result in enforcement action being taken by the Department of Fisheries or marine police.


Fish stockpile to be released to tackle rising prices
The Star 3 Mar 17;

ALOR SETAR: The National Fishermen’s Association (Nekmat)will release its stockpile of fish at 50% lower than the market price, following escalating prices that have resulted in even the common kembong (Rastrelliger mackerels) being sold at RM22 per kg.

Its board member Abdul Hamid Bahari said the initiative was taken in collaboration with the Fisheries Development Authority of Malaysia (LKIM) and Kedah Fishermen’s Association to help the consumers.

“Nekmat will provide a stockpile of 2,000 tonnes to the southern region while the Kedah Fishermen’s Association will provide up to 600 tonnes to the northern region,” he told reporters here yesterday.

Abdul Hamid said A-sized fish to be sold at RM12 per kg would be delivered throughout the state, including the rural areas of Sungai Tiang and Pokok Sena, in special lorries weekly.

“We won’t earn any profit, but with the government’s subsidy, this is the only way for us to help those facing difficulties obtaining fish supplies,” he added.

He said the high price of fish could not be avoided due to the weather. Nevertheless, the situation would improve in a week’s time.

“Previously, fishermen could haul between 100kg and 200kg daily but these days, they can manage only 5kg,” he said.

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Indonesia: WWF Indonesia Launches Interactive App to Aid Marine Conservation

Ratri M. Siniwi Jakarta Globe 2 Mar 17;

Jakarta. The World Wildlife Fund Indonesia launched a mobile application on Thursday (02/03) to promote awareness of the importance of marine conservation amid a steady rise in the number of tourists flocking to the country's marine reserves.

The Marine Buddies app provides information on the 165 marine parks scattered across the archipelago.

"With rising marine tourism in Indonesia, the urgency to maintain clean oceans is as important as ever. The app will be a useful tool to help familiarize travelers with Indonesia's marine parks, allowing them to responsibly input data on the conditions of each park they visit," Dewi Satriani, campaign and mobilization manager for WWF Indonesia, said during the launch in Jakarta.

The app also allows users to rate individual parks in a wide variety of categories, by judging how clean each reserve is and by noting the abundance, or lack thereof, of fish populations in park waters.

"The reports by divers on the variety of fish will be essential. The more diversity in fish species, the healthier the coral [reef]," Dewi added.

According to data released by the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, only about 10 percent of marine parks in the country are deemed properly maintained. Alor Island in East Nusa Tenggara and Mentawai Island in West Sumatra were among those listed as under suitable management.

With the release of its app, WWF Indonesia hopes that the number of properly maintained parks will increase through public interaction. The reports filed through the app will be forwarded directly to both the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries and the Ministry of Environment and Forestry.

Ultimately, WWF Indonesia hopes to speed up the search for an adequate solution to rising pollution levels in Indonesian waters, as more than 8 million tons of plastic waste make their way into oceans globally every year, according to Coastal Care, a foundation that tracks pollution.

"Protecting our oceans is becoming harder and harder. Even with sea patrols, we can't really know what's going on underwater," Dewi said.

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Best of our wild blogs: 2 Mar 17

My Singapore Story
No Roads Barred

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