Young Singaporeans passionate about keeping our heritage alive

Desire to save aspects of history before they disappear altogether
Tan Dawn Wei Straits Times 30 May 10;

An area of growing interest has been in natural heritage, as seen by the public-driven movement to save Chek Jawa in the early 2000s, when planned land reclamation works threatened to destroy the area's rich biodiversity.

It always irks Mr Tony Tan when people accuse his home country of being soul-less, boring and expensive.

In fact, it riled him so much that he decided to prove them wrong. Seven years ago, the travel-savvy information technology professional, who was working in Britain, decided to come home to set up a hostel.

He rented from his parents a 1920s conserved shophouse in the heart of culturally rich Joo Chiat and started Betel Box with a friend.

Betel Box was not going to be just another cheap stay. Mr Tan wanted it to encompass and showcase six facets of Singapore: culture and heritage, food, art and design, nature and conservation, architecture and social studies, and finally, outdoor and adventure.

'I felt so strongly about doing it. It's important because travel agents refuse to debunk these three myths about Singapore,' said the eloquent, chatty 38-year-old who studied economics at University College London.

He did not want tourists to see only Sentosa or the Night Safari either. 'Singapore is a country with its own identity. We want to engage these travellers on a different level,' he said.

So, he got a travel agent licence and has been operating highly popular food and cycling tours that even Singaporeans sign up for.

'Although I'm an accommodation provider, it is the social environment that is most important to me and that is reinforced by the things we do, the way we decorated the hostel and the way we deal with people,' said the committee member of the non-profit Singapore Heritage Society.

His food tours - free for his guests and $50 for everyone else - is a six- to seven-hour chomp jaunt of over 20 dishes around the Joo Chiat area, filled with history nuggets of the food, architecture and how Singaporeans live.

Even those he hires have to fit a certain criteria, top of which is having 'a passion for Singapore'. Conservationists, artists and volunteers of social groups have all been members of his staff.

As Singapore continues to race towards economic excellence and cosmopolitan chic, young Singaporeans are looking back to the country's past and taking a shine to what was once seen as a fuddy duddy topic: heritage.

At the National University of Singapore, Professor Peter Ng teaches a Singapore studies module, Natural Heritage of Singapore, that is open to students of all faculties.

The class size has grown from 400 to 600 in three years and the school has had to cap the number because there are only 600 seats in the lecture theatre.

'It tells us that heritage is something that younger people are interested in and want to know more about,' said Professor Ng, 49, who has been on a crusade the past year to get a natural heritage museum built.

But this growing enthusiasm for the country's natural and man-made endowment is not just confined to the classroom.

Like Mr Tan, young Singaporeans - many born post-Independence - are doing their bit in pockets of this city and in cyberspace to preserve, document and showcase a slice of Singapore's heritage.

In the past few weeks, award-winning filmmaker Royston Tan has been sending out blasts on social networking site Facebook, asking people to share their memories of old places in a new film project. The docu-drama, scheduled for a possible television release later this year, will be a collection of scenes from long-forgotten corners of Singapore.

'Singapore's old places and our childhood places are disappearing every single minute. We want to invite people from all walks of life to help us form a collective memory of all these old places that matter to them,' explained the 33-year-old director of 15: The Movie and 881.

Since he started spreading the word, ideas have been pouring in, such as the last drain where one can catch wild fighting fish, an old confectionery stuck in time and Singapore's oldest bus-stop.

'We are always in transition. Sometimes, you don't even realise the changes that have taken place subtly,' said Mr Tan, who grew up in a kampung in Lorong Chuan.

Anyone interested in contributing ideas can e-mail wyna@chuanpictures.com

An area of growing interest has been in natural heritage, as seen by the public-driven movement to save Chek Jawa in the early 2000s, when planned land reclamation works threatened to destroy the area's rich biodiversity.

That groundswell of public opinion led to the Government making a U-turn on the redevelopment plans and promising to leave it alone for the next 10 years.

'There is a hunger from various stratas in society to have a connection,' said Dr Zeehan Jaafar, 32, president of Blue Water Volunteers and a Chek Jawa activist.

It was around the time the Chek Jawa campaign took off that a group of young people, including Dr Zeehan, banded together as a marine conservation group.

Blue Water Volunteers was registered as a society in 2006, although the group had started the ball rolling since early 2000 on an ad hoc basis. Run by volunteers, it wants to complement research activities and increase awareness of local marine habitats, such as coral reefs.

The core group of volunteers at Blue Water numbers about 50, most of them young working professionals below the age of 40.

'There's something to be said about preserving something that belongs to you, your own heritage,' said Dr Zeehan, a lecturer in biodiversity at the National University of Singapore.

'Our reefs, despite being so impacted because of development, are very diverse. We're still discovering new species.'

Blue Water's ReefWalk programme, where about 10 volunteer guides take 100 people on a chartered boat to Kusu Island for some coral reef spotting, is always overbooked. The group is training a fresh batch of volunteer guides and will restart the programme soon.

Dr Kevin Tan, president of the Singapore Heritage Society, is not surprised that young Singaporeans are getting in on the act of keeping a slice of Singapore's heritage.

'There's so much interest because many young Singaporeans are trying to find their own identities. In order for you to figure out your identity, you start looking at the present and back at the past,' said the 48-year-old, who runs his own consultancy on law and heritage.

'The government can only take care of state-centric heritage whereas younger people are looking at alternative history, history on the ground. These are ephemeral, not monumental. The state can't do this kind of thing but the public can.'

In one case at least, the state and the individual have come into a happy partnership.

In 2007, Dr Alan Prem Kumar, a senior scientist at the Cancer Science Institute of Singapore at the National University of Singapore, and his 38-year-old brother, Indu, decided they wanted to do something for their Malayalee community.

'My brother and I were chatting one day and we realised that we didn't know our own history,' said the 47-year-old, who has spent 20 years in the United States.

'We didn't know the stories of the Singapore Malayalee community and our children would probably also not know. The stories could just die by the next generation instead of being passed down.'

The duo mooted the idea of a Malayalee Heritage Centre and approached Nominated Member of Parliament Viswa Sadasivan, who roped in Mr Predeep Menon and Mr Jaya Prakash Nair as advisers.

Mr Menon is chief executive officer of RSP Meena Architects Planner and Engineers and Mr Nair is director of Pandisea Pte Ltd.

A concept plan was born and Dr Kumar wrote to President SRNathan, who invited him to the Istana. As it turns out, there were plans for an Indian heritage centre.

He is now working with the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts on the Malayalee component of the all-encompassing museum.

He wants it to engage the young, so interactive features are in the plans. He, too, is learning about his heritage along the way and while the centre will take another two years to complete, he is not losing steam.

'We started it in 2007, and we hope to finish it,' he said.

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D'Kranji Farm Resort violates agreement with URA on land use

Lip Kwok Wai/Sharon See Channel NewsAsia 29 May 10;

SINGAPORE : More than a year after D'Kranji Farm Resort opened its doors, the company is now facing a series of setbacks.

D'Kranji Farm Resort was designed to provide a farmland experience to holiday-makers, while nurturing a new generation of farmers.

The idea was to allow farmers to sell their own produce to tourists. But not for long.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said the resort violated earlier agreements to keep land designated for F&B or retail uses to a maximum of 200 square metres.

In its reply to MediaCorp, URA said the resort's kiosks and structures for retail use are more than six times the agreed area. The 200 square metres had already been used up for restaurants and spas.

URA said it cannot accede to requests to increase this area as it would "compromise the existing rustic character."

Consequently, most of the farmers left half a year ago as they could not cope with rising costs.

Tourist arrivals also dwindled, and resort operator HLH Group Limited said it suffered losses of more than one million dollars to date.

Only three farming groups are left using the facilities now.

Some farmers are seeking legal avenues as they said the company had allowed them to sell their produce in their initial agreement.

However, with URA's restrictions on land use, D'Kranji said it will try to resolve the dispute through communication with the farmers.

With so few farmers left, Dr Johnny Ong, Executive Deputy Chairman of HLH Group, said the company may use part of its land for organic farming and an agriculture museum. - CNA/ms

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A bit of an uproar at resort over cruelty to animals

Martin Carvalho and Allison Lai, The Star 30 May 10;

ALOR GAJAH: Animal lovers including celebrities got together here to send out a strong message about cruelty to animals.

The gathering was organised following a controversy about a tiger that’s allegedly being abused at a resort here.

Yesterday’s 30-minute gathering, which included TV personalities Rina Omar and Bernie Chan, took place outside the main entrance of A’ Famosa Resort. It was meant to help create awareness on unethical treatment of animals.

The participants held banners and placards with the words “Stop Prostituting Animals”.

However, they dispersed following a request from the police.

Rina said the gathering was not targeted at the resort but rather as an act of raising public awareness over the unethical use of animals for profit.

“We are here today to send the message across to Malaysians on the need to protect tigers and other wildlife against exploitation.

“Do we want to show the younger generation the animals in their natural state in proper enclosure or do we want to see them being forced to pose for the camera or doing silly tricks?” she asked.

The group refused to take up A’Famosa’s offer of a free tour so that they can see for themselves how the animals were treated.

Resort general manager Allan Chee denied that the Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan) had issued an order against them.

He explained that Perhilitan officers visited the resort in April and had advised them to stop using their tigers for photography sessions following complaints that this might pose a danger to the people.

A YouTube clip titled “Tiger Being Abused For Money” shows a handler prodding a sedated tiger during a photography session.

Chee denied that the employee concerned has been terminated.

“He left on his own accord.”

Perhilitan is investigating the video posted on YouTube in February.

Malaysian activists protest over Tiger abuse video
Yahoo News 29 May 10;

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) – Wildlife activists on Saturday protested at a Malaysian wildlife park over a video posted on YouTube showing a tiger being manhandled for the amusement of visitors.

The two-minute clip shows the handler inviting visitors to take pictures with the tiger while he forces the apparently drowsy animal to sit up and kicks it in the head with his knee to get it to pose.

Around 30 activists took part in the protest outside the A'Famosa resort, saying they were "appalled" by the video, their spokeswoman Rina Omar said.

"We can't support any park that doesn't treat animals the way they should be treated," she said from the resort in central Malacca state.

"The tiger is our national icon, people are really upset about this."

The video sparked criticism from other groups, with Friends of the Earth describing it as "horrible and a disgrace".

The wildlife park insisted staff had not abused the tiger and said they had stopped allowing visitors to take photos with the big cat.

A'Famosa general manager Allan Chee earlier said the tiger "was just drowsy and lazy after being fed" and was being prodded to get into position.

There are only 500 wild tigers believed to be left in peninsular Malaysia, a sharp decline from an estimated 3,000 in the 1950s. The government aims to double the population to 1,000 by 2020.

Read more!

Food waste in Malaysia

Sunday Spotlight: What a waste!
New Straits Times 30 May 10;

A nation that generates more than a kilogramme of waste per person a day is considered developed. But when food increasingly becomes part of the landfill, it is a sign of societal regression, writes CHAI MEI LING

MENTION food wastage and images of leftovers from overladen plates and all-you-can-eat buffet lines spring to mind.

But a recently concluded survey revealed that urban households are an even bigger culprit when it comes to wasting food.

Urban Malaysians throw away close to one million kilogrammes of food from their kitchen every day -- 40 per cent more than what businesses and industries discard.

Bread and fruits are among the most common edibles to end up in garbage bins.

The study by Universiti Malaya, which took eight years to complete, detailed the composition of landfills in Selangor, divided into 24 categories. They included unconsumed food, kitchen waste, rubber, textile, wood and garden waste.


Researchers rummaged through the trash in landfills to analyse what households, businesses and industries threw out.

Unconsumed food comprised four per cent of the composition of an urban landfill in Kundang, Rawang.

"Four per cent seems like a small figure, but volume-wise, that translates to more than 1,000 tonnes of food tossed out a day.


"Multiply that by 365 days, put a monetary value to it, and you'll see how many millions of ringgit we're throwing away year after year," said solid and hazardous waste management expert Prof Dr P. Agamuthu.

This worrying trend, up from about two per cent five years ago, shows no signs of slowing down, said Agamuthu, who headed the study.

"As people become more affluent, they can afford to buy more. But with both the husband and wife working in most households, they become so busy that food bought isn't consumed on time."

Rural landfills however, were found to contain less food items. The Panchang Bedena landfill in Hulu Selangor, for example, had 0.5 per cent of unconsumed food.

Rural households also throw away much less food compared with businesses and institutions.

However, the study showed that the higher the income of the people, the more food they throw away, whether in urban or rural areas.

Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) president S.M. Mohamed Idris said Malaysians "do not feel guilty about wasting food" as they did not have to worry about food shortages or going hungry,

"Look at the amount of uneaten food left on the tables of restaurants, fast food chains and hawker centres. Parents are telling the kids that it's all right not to finish the food, instead of telling them not to waste. Children feel it's acceptable to leave food uneaten."

This vicious cycle bears bad news for both the nation's economy and environment.

Buying food that is not consumed gives rise to a false demand for the item, which unnecessarily hikes up prices. This puts a burden on the lower-income group which spends a far higher proportion of their earnings on food, said Idris.

Sunday Spotlight: To Throw or not to throw
New Straits Times 30 May 10;

WE'VE all done it at some point -- throw away good food that we think is no longer fit for consumption.

But we've also tucked into stale fare we assumed was fresh, upsetting our stomachs in the process.

The line between food safety and wastage isn't always clear-cut. Throw and you're wasteful, keep and you run the risk of jeopardising your health.

So how do we tell what's to be kept and what's not?

It's subjective, because different food has different ways of deteriorating, and the tolerance level of people is not the same, said food safety expert Professor Dr Son Radu.

"The rule of thumb is to base it on experience. Observe the changes in the texture, shape and colour, and take those as indications.

"For example, fruits and vegetables continue to undergo enzymatic reaction after being harvested, so they continue to deteriorate until they become spoiled. From your personal experience, you would roughly know what you can stomach."

But the signs are not always there, warned Universiti Putra Malaysia's Dr Chai Lay Ching.

"Microorganisms grow in food and cause changes in taste, smell or texture, so it's fairly easy to spot these signs.

"However, foodborne pathogens, like salmonella, do not physically change food in any way but they cause disease."

To be safe and prudent, it's advisable to cook only what's needed because food is best consumed as soon as possible after cooking, said Son, an expert consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations.

"Eating food within two hours of cooking is considered safe. After that, there's no guarantee because there are many ways microbes can get in."

The biggest culprit is cross contamination, he added. Microbes can be transferred from dirty hands to plates, or make their way into cooked meat through a tainted container.

When excess food is kept warm and not hot, as what some eateries do, there is a risk of food contamination because warm temperatures provide "a perfect condition for pathogens to grow", said Chai.

E. coli, for example, needs only six hours to grow to a very high level that's detrimental to health, she added.

The researcher, who specialises in microbiological risk analysis, also discourages people from taking leftovers.

Reheating food kills most microorganisms, but some produce toxins that can't be eliminated.

"That's why it's best to cook what you need at the time you need it."

Read more!

No more eating shark fin in Hawaii after new law

Audrey McAvoy, Associated Press Google News 30 May 10;

HONOLULU — The $48-a-plate shark fin has been a favorite dish to celebrate 80th birthdays and fete out of town VIPs since Vienna Hou's Chinese restaurant opened 25 years ago.

But Kirin Restaurant customers won't be dining in that style starting July 1, 2011, when Hawaii becomes the first state in the nation to ban the possession of shark fins. The state is attempting to help prevent the overfishing and extinction of sharks around the world.

"Something will be missing," said Hou, who grew up watching her father sell shark fin as part of his seafood trading business in Hong Kong. "Decent Chinese restaurants — they all serve shark fin."

Gov. Linda Lingle on Friday signed a bill prohibiting the possession, sale or distribution of shark fins. The bill passed the state House and Senate with broad support earlier this year.

The legislation generated some grumbling in Hawaii's sizable Chinese community — more than 13 percent of the state population is Chinese or part Chinese. Many consider shark fin a delicacy and important part of Chinese culture.

The ban also comes as the tourism-dependent state expects a surge in affluent Chinese visitors.

Restaurateurs say about a dozen establishments in Hawaii serve shark fin, which doesn't taste like much by itself. The flavor in shark fin dishes comes from the ingredients it's cooked with, either the rich sauce it's served with on a plate or the savory pork and chicken base in shark fin soup.

Some people eat it for the supposed health benefits, claiming that it's good for bones, kidneys and lungs and helps treat cancer. Shark fin is also considered a status symbol in high-end restaurants, a dish to impress or lavishly treat guests. At Kirin, on a busy street near the University of Hawaii, one soup serving is $17.

In Hong Kong, high end restaurants can charge $1,000 for premium shark fin.

"I don't think you should say it should be illegal to have shark fin," said Johnson Choi, president of the Hong Kong China Hawaii Chamber of Commerce. "Shark fins are part of food culture — Chinese have had food culture for over 5,000 years."

Environmentalists say the tradition is leading to a dangerous depletion of sharks worldwide.

A report last year by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature estimates 32 percent of open ocean shark species are in danger of becoming extinct primarily because of overfishing.

Hawaii's lawmakers heard testimony that sharks are being killed for their fins at a rate of 89 million per year.

"It's not a local issue. It's an international issue," said Sen. Clayton Hee, D-Kahuku-Kaneohe, the sponsor of the Hawaii bill.

Restaurants serving fins will have until next July to run through their inventory. After that, those caught with fin will have to pay a fine between $5,000 to $15,000 for a first offense. A third offense would result in a fine between $35,000 to $50,000 and up to a year in prison.

It's designed to go a step further than the previous law which aimed to control shark finning — the act of cutting fins off sharks at sea and dumping their carcasses in the ocean — by banning the landing of shark fins at Hawaii ports.

Shark conservation activists say they hope the law inspires other states and the federal government to follow suit.

"This is a landmark bill," said Marie Levine, the founder and executive director of the Shark Research Institute in Princeton, N.J. "This is enormously important for the conservation of sharks."

Conservation efforts suffered a major setback earlier this year when an effort to protect six shark species under the 175-nation Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, or CITES, failed in March.

Hee, who is of Chinese and Native Hawaiian descent, rejected the argument that shark fins shouldn't be banned because they're an important part of Chinese culture. He argued the food is only eaten by an elite few at Chinese restaurants.

"It's a tradition of serving shark fin to those who could most afford it. It's an indulgent activity," Hee said.

In contrast, he noted sharks are deeply ingrained in Hawaiian culture as ancestral gods, or aumakua, and are featured prominently in ancient legends.

The law's power may be primarily symbolic given Hawaii is a small market for shark fin, especially compared to Hong Kong. The IUCN estimates Hong Kong handles at least 50 percent and perhaps 80 percent of the world's shark fin trade.

Some restaurant managers — both inside and outside of the tourist mecca of Waikiki — said their biggest eaters of shark fin are Japanese tourists who like to order the dish because it's three to four times cheaper here than back home.

"I doubt it very much that people will be very disappointed," said David Chui, manager of Legends Seafood Restaurant.

Carroll Cox, president of the Hawaii-based group EnviroWatch, hopes the governor makes enforcement a high priority. Other countries will also have to commit to limit the shark fin trade for any restrictions to have an effect, he said.

"People learn to circumvent the law, especially when you have a product that's expensive and in demand," said Cox.

Read more!

Canadian government mulls plan to cull seals to save cod

Yahoo News 29 May 10;

MONTREAL (AFP) – The government is studying a plan to either kill 220,000 gray seals off its Atlantic coast or sterilize 16,000 female seals to save declining cod and other fish stocks.

The study obtained by AFP said options include a five-year effort to reduce the seal population either by killing the animals or injecting females with contraceptives in the area around Sable Island, off the coast of Nova Scotia.

The report prepared for Fisheries and Oceans Canada and first obtained by the Halifax newspaper The Coast estimates the gray seal population is around 300,000 strong.

But Mark Butler of the Ecology Action Center in Halifax criticized the options.

"If we start to kill seals to save cod, we would have to continue for centuries since fishing has been decimated by natural predators" such as sharks, he said. "It's a vicious cycle."

Environment Minister Jim Prentice recently announced plans to create a national park on the island, which also has wild horses and 300 species of birds.

The seal kill plan could deal a blow to the island by bringing in vehicles, workers and equipment. And any seals killed would likely be incinerated to avoid dumping their carcasses in the water.

Gus Van Helvoort, a spokesman for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, told AFP that no decision had been made on any plan.

Canada has faced criticism for allowing seal hunts off its coasts but says the animals are not endangered and that it is part of the country's tradition.

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Maldives president calls for direct action over climate change

President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives told a Hay festival audience that grassroots 'street action' was needed to change the focus of the debate on climate change in the US
Patrick Barkham, guardian.co.uk 29 May 10;

A 1960s-style campaign of direct action must ignite on the streets as a catalyst for decisive action to combat climate change, according to President Mohamed Nasheed of the imperilled Maldives. Nasheed told the Hay festival that it was the United States, not China, that was the biggest obstacle to a global agreement to check carbon emissions.

Nasheed, who held an underwater meeting of his cabinet last autumn and is presiding over the relocation of people from some islands because of the effects of warming oceans and rising sea levels, put his hopes in the emergence of "huge" grassroots action after the failure of talks in Copenhagen in December.

"What we really need is a huge social 60s-style catalystic, dynamic street action," he said. "If the people in the US wish to change, it can happen. In the 60s and 70s, they've done that."

But he said the US was where the focus of pressure had to be, whereas China and India were actually far more receptive to the concept of climate change.

"My sense of China is that they tend to believe in climate change. My sense of the US is that a fair amount of them simply don't believe in it," he said.

Interviewed by Ed Miliband, the former energy and climate change secretary, on a video link from the Maldives, Nasheed spoke of the devastating effect that changes in sea levels are having on the islands, which are on average just 1.5 metres above sea level.

People living on 16 islands of the Maldives archipelago are already being relocated but Nasheed, who was educated in Britain and became president at the first multi-party elections in 2008 after spells as a political prisoner, said moving the people of the Maldives somewhere else was not a solution. "Even if we go, I always think where would the butterflies go? Where would the sounds go?"

Miliband, who while in office struck a resolutely optimistic note about the involvement of the US in a new deal on climate change, was now more ambivalent about the American commitment to tackling its emissions. "I have a real fear about where the debate is in the US," he told the audience at Hay.

Nasheed said countries committed to tackling climate change should press ahead with agreements and emissions reductions regardless of whether they took more recalcitrant nations with them.

"We cannot wait for the lowest common denominator where everyone agrees to doing almost nothing," he said.

In a rebuke to the developed world, Nasheed noted how India listened to small countries' fears over the issue. "The refreshing thing about India is they listen to people, certainly they listen to the Maldives," he said.

The Maldives is embarking on a radical programme to become the first carbon-neutral country within 10 years. Its president claimed it was on track with three large wind farms under construction and photovoltaic technologies being developed, although the country is also having to build sea walls to repel the ocean and energy-hungry desalination plants to replace fresh water supplies lost to the sea.

The president, who has endured two spells in prison over the last two decades for criticising the former president and was granted refugee status in Britain, said he was still optimistic that with renewed grassroots action governments would act on climate change.

"I could have lost my life if I'd given it up. By simply believing in life you can get out of situations. I believe in human ingenuity. We are not doomed. We can succeed and we must work along those lines."

Asked whether he would support Ed Miliband in his bid to lead the Labour party, Nasheed said he had met both Miliband brothers. "Have a good fight and may the best man win," he answered diplomatically.

"That's what my mother says as well," added Ed Miliband.

Read more!

Best of our wild blogs: 29 May 10

Oil Spill at Chek Jawa
from Manta Blog

Even the canals at East Coast and Singapore Expo are polluted by oil now from Lazy Lizard's Tales

Who's who in the oil spill response team (Crude oil spill off Changi East) from Water Quality in Singapore

What is being done about the oil spill? (28 May)
from wild shores of singapore

What is coral bleaching?
from wild shores of singapore

Dispersants: lessons from the Gulf oil spill
from wild shores of singapore

Aisyah and Joanne share their research findings about tree-climbing crabs at Sungei Buloh Wetlands Reserve from Otterman speaks

My first trip to Pulau Tekukor
from wonderful creation and wild shores of singapore and psychedelic nature and singapore nature

Baby swallows in NUS
from Urban Forest

Night Adventure @ Admiralty Park
from Macro Photography in Singapore

Baya Weaver completing nest
from Bird Ecology Study Group

Dairy Farm Nature Park Opening Week
from Macro Photography in Singapore

Flowering Calophyllum soulattri @Toa Payoh Town Park
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

Raffles Museum Treasures: Mud lobster
from Lazy Lizard's Tales and Clown Triggerfish

Read more!

Indonesia Waters Are Safe And Unaffected From Malaysian Tanker's Oil Spill

Bernama 29 May 10;

BATAM (RIAU ISLANDS), May 29 (Bernama) -- Indonesia water is still safe and unaffected from the oil spill caused by a collision involving a Malaysian tanker MT Bunga Kelana 3 and bulk carrier MV Waily in the Singapore Strait on May 25.

"The oil spill has not entered the Batam waters and is still in the outer port limit (OPL) of Singapore Strait," Antara news agency reported Saturday, citing Director of the Riau Islands Water Police Adjunct Senior Commissioner Yassin Kosasih as saying.

He added that the oil spill would not affect Indonesia waters as the wind is currently blowing towards Singapore.

The collision occurred at about 13 kilometre southeast of Singapore's Changi East last Tuesday, and the spill has spread into Malaysian waters, too.

Johor Department of Environment director Dr Zulkifli Abdul Rahman said the spill measuring 1,600-metre long and 960-meter wide, was now 960 meters from the Tanjung Ayam beach in Pengerang, Kota Tinggi, according to a local English daily New Strait Times.

"Currently, the Southern Region Marine Department is in the midst of preventing the spill from reaching the beach," he said in a statement Friday.

Malaysian and Singaporean authorities are working to clean up the spillage of about 2,000 tonnes of crude oil the collision.

Meanwhile Singapore's Strait Times reported that the oil from the collision had spread from the SAF Yacht Club next to the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal all the way to the chalets in East Coast Park.

The hulls of boats moored at the yacht club were smeared with the dark, viscous oil, some of which had become trapped within the walls of the square marina.

Workers from salvage company Singapore Salvage Engineers were spraying chemical de-greasers in the club's boat launch area to disperse the oil.

-- BERNAMA

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Oil spill hits Changi Beach car parks 1-4: NEA

S Ramesh Channel NewsAsia 29 May 10;

SINGAPORE : The oil spill has now reached the areas between Car Parks 1 to 4 of Changi Beach.

The National Environment Agency (NEA) says as of 10am Saturday, light staining of parts of these beaches were observed.

Workers were deployed immediately to clean up the oil stains.

Meanwhile at Chek Jawa, oil absorbent booms and paddings were deployed at the parts affected yesterday. These have helped to keep the oil spill out of Chek Jawa.

There were no immediate signs of major damage to the Chek Jawa eco-system, but NParks is monitoring the situation closely.

Nparks says it is encouraged by the show of support from the public for Chek Jawa.

Many people have asked if they could volunteer their help.

However, given the fragility of the eco-system at Chek Jawa, NEA says its preference at this stage is to work with volunteers familiar with the area or those who have the necessary expertise.

NEA is also in consultation with the NUS' Raffles Museum Biodiversity Research and Tropical Marine Science Institute.

In the meantime, Chek Jawa is still open to visitors, but guided walks have been suspend in the next two weeks for the agencies to monitor the situation better.

NEA and the ship operator AET have also mobilised over 245 workers to clean up the oil on the affected beaches and 14 NEA officers are continuing with surveillance at East Coast Park, Changi Beach and Pulau Ubin.

The newly affected parts of Changi Beach have been closed and signages have been put up to warn the public not to go into the water.

The beaches along East Coast Park are still closed.

So the public's advised to refrain from swimming and engaging in water activities in these areas. - CNA/jy

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Oil spill off Changi East: Singapore reports

Dirtied coastline: It could be worse
Straits Times editorial 29 May 10;

A REMINDER of Singapore's susceptibility to marine environmental pollution came in the form of a foul odour wafting across the East Coast Park this week. A tanker and bulk carrier had collided 13km away, spilling a reported 2,500 tonnes of light crude, some of which reached a 7km stretch along the east coast. Environmentalists fretted about the impact on marine wildlife; anglers about their opportunistic catch for dinner; and fish farmers about their commercial stock. And worse, environmental department officials predict that weekend showers might hamper clean-up efforts.

Some perspective, however, is useful to have. Singapore, by virtue of its sitting on one of the world's busiest waterways, is exposed to the unwelcome prospect of spills from tanker accidents. Put differently, there is always a price to be paid for being in such a location (besides the demonstrable economic benefits, which have been considerable). An appropriate analogy would be this: People living in flats near highways should accept the dust and noise pollution.

Singaporeans can count their blessings in that the state has the capacity to cope with pollution on a geographic scale. It need not be a helpless victim. The island's water supply has not been affected by the sticky slush washing ashore. Environmental damage is unlikely to be significant, as the affected area is largely made up of reclaimed land, sea walls and canals. And the state's well-oiled systems were promptly activated to contain the effects of the spill. The initial effort comprised 15 emergency response craft equipped with 50 tonnes of dispersant and 3,300m of containment booms. Coastal clean-up efforts have bagged nearly nine tonnes of sand dirtied by the petroleum. Few might be aware that the incident pales in comparison with Singapore's worst known oil accident in 1997, which saw 25,000 tonnes of crude discharged into the sea.

Singapore in collaboration with its littoral-state neighbours is geared for attendant risks. A revolving fund set up in 1981 can be used by Singapore, Malaysia or Indonesia to combat oil pollution caused by ships. But Singapore has chosen not to draw on it, saying rather pointedly that the owners of the two vessels involved will be 'jointly and severally liable' for the cost of the recovery work. Maritime officials from the three nations have agreed to work closely to stem the effects. Navigational procedures should plainly be improved to pre-empt collisions, which sooner or later would involve much larger bulk carriers. The eventual effects of this spill are yet to be determined. But Singaporeans can take heart in that it could be worse, considering the island's location and the heavy tanker traffic.

Oil spill hits Chek Jawa, Changi Beach
It has also reached south-eastern tip of Johor, say reports
Grace Chua Straits Times 29 May 10;

OIL from Tuesday's spill has hit two more parts of Singapore's shores, including the Chek Jawa wetlands on Pulau Ubin - home to unique ecosystems and the last refuge of several plants and animals once common in the country.

The latest oil-slicked areas are north of the spill and other previously affected parts of East Coast Park, suggesting that tides and winds are pushing the slick towards Singapore's north-east.

A 700m stretch of Changi Beach was also affected, between Carpark 6 and Carpark 7, and is now closed to swimmers.

According to Malaysian press reports yesterday, the oil had also reached Teluk Ramunia on the south-eastern tip of Johor.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said it was working with its Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts to address the spill, which occurred after the oil tanker MT Bunga Kelana 3, laden with 62,000 tonnes of crude oil, collided with the bulk carrier MVWaily early on Tuesday morning, 13km off Changi East.

Some 2,500 tonnes of oil leaked into the water, causing a 4 sq km slick as the tanker moved to anchor in a safe place.

Containment booms and other dispersal measures are helping halt the spread of oil, but these are not foolproof, said National Environment Agency (NEA) chief executive Andrew Tan. 'We cannot contain 100 per cent of the oil spill out in the open ocean,' Mr Tan said.

Despite the National Parks Board (NParks) putting up a 1km containment boom at Chek Jawa when the oil spill first occurred, oil could have gone over or under the boom because of waves and tides, said NParks' director of conservation, Mr Wong Tuan Wah.

There, about 150m of shoreline around the boardwalk is showing patches of oil.

About 20 people have been deployed to clean it up, including NParks and NEA staff and contractors. Environmental advocates from several groups, such as the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres), plan to chip in today.

Mr Wong explained that the polluted mud has to be cleaned up before oil seeps in further, suffocating and poisoning wildlife there.

Reports of oil at the new sites emerged at 2pm yesterday; the waters at Changi Beach were still clear at lunchtime.

At East Coast Park, the oil-slicked sand had been largely cleared from the 7.2km of shoreline covered earlier this week. The 19.6 tonnes of contaminated sand that was shovelled up was sent to the Semakau landfill site.

Offshore, the MPA said, the largest oil slicks were dispersed, though smaller patches remain scattered along East Coast Park, moving towards or away from the shore with the tide.

Yesterday, more than 20 Acres volunteers combed East Coast Park, finding more than 80 oil-slicked creatures dead and alive, including jellyfish, crabs, peanut worms and starfish.

The NEA said it would assess the oil spill's impact on marine life once the clean-up is complete.

'Our main effort is returning life to normalcy so that members of the public can go back to the beaches - the safety of the public is what's most important right now,' NEA chief executive Mr Tan said.

He added that most of the clean-up should be over by the weekend.

Events at or near East Coast Park, such as tonight's Sundown Marathon, can continue as long as people do not enter the water, the NEA said.

At least one event organiser is playing it safe: an outdoor movie screening this evening, part of Family Day Out @ South East, is being moved to Sentosa's Palawan Beach instead.

Fewer flock to beach despite long weekend
Many stay away due to oil spill at East Coast Park
Teh Joo Lin Straits Times 29 May 10;

A FAMILY of eight who wanted to lunch by the sea on the first day of the long weekend went to Changi Beach but were repelled by the stench of oil.

They then drove to the East Coast Park, but the smell was there too.

Since it was more bearable, they pitched a tent and tucked into their home-cooked dishes, but still called it a day shortly after.

Before they packed up to go, Mr Krishna Supramaniam, 33, told The Straits Times: 'We are already set up here, but we will leave soon. We can feel the burning irritation, so it's best to keep away.'

The operations manager in the oil industry added that he was worried for the health of his 15-month-old niece.

Mr Krishna's was one of several families that did not linger for long at East Coast Park yesterday.

The park was still packed, but regular beachgoers and businesses there said that for a public holiday, the crowd was thinner than expected.

Swimmers also kept out of the water. Mr Wahid Parik, who works at a cycling rental shop, said there were fewer tents - he described them as 'mushrooms' - dotting the coast compared to the average public holiday.

Visitors also said parking spaces were easier to find.

The situation has affected some businesses which were hoping to capitalise on the three-day weekend.

Mr Christopher Newman, 35, water sports manager of Mana Mana, said the long weekend would have provided income that will be 'very sorely missed, just as it will be for all businesses along the coast here'.

'We'd expect it to be absolutely packed,' he said, adding that two birthday parties and a sailing class had been cancelled.

The company offers dining, water sports lessons and activities, and equipment rental. Water activities had been suspended, although the doors are still open to diners.

More serious activities also had to be relocated. Since Thursday, sailors for the Youth Olympic Games have been training in the waters off Raffles Marina. They will continue to do so until they receive clearance from the authorities.

Other events were moved. For example, South East Community Development Council's Family Day Out event will have its outdoor movie screening at Sentosa's Palawan Beach instead of East Coast Park this evening.

At watering holes such as The Beach Hut at East Coast Park, manager Annaliza Dizon said business was close to that on a typical weekday - meaning it was slow compared to public holidays.

All along the eastern coast yesterday, workers continued to shovel blackened sand into sandbags for disposal.

But the smell was bearable, said Ms Joey Toh, a 30-year-old administrative assistant whose family of about 10 members stayed on.

Bicycle and in-line skate rental shop owner William Ho agreed: 'It's not so bad today. Before, it was terrible and I had a headache the whole day.'

He claimed his business was unaffected.

Some anglers continued to fish, while at least one person was seen taking a dip in the waters despite the signs warning people not to do so.

Emerging with oil stains on his body, the swimmer, who identified himself only as Mr Lee, insisted that the water felt fine, and he was not bothered by the smell.

'I heard about the oil spill but it slipped my mind since it was such a fine day,' said the 61-year-old cleaner in Mandarin.

A 700m stretch of Changi Beach between Carpark 6 and Carpark 7 was hit by an oil slick yesterday, but other than the affected coast, the rest of the beach was packed. There was no smell of oil along the other parts of the beach when The Straits Times visited in the evening.

One angler at the affected stretch simply shifted to another area to fish.

Mr Haizal Ahmad Ali had been looking forward to fishing at the closed-off spot because his uncle had caught a stingray weighing more than 5kg there.

The 32-year-old delivery driver said: 'I wanted to try my luck there. Here, the big fish are not biting.'


Oil slick still spreading
Straits Times 29 May 10;

Patches of the oil slick from Tuesday's spill stain the sand along a beach near Changi Village yesterday. The oil has also spread to the Chek Jawa wetlands at Pulau Ubin. Some 2,500 tonnes of crude oil had spilled from a tanker damaged in a collision 13km off Changi East. Beaches remain shut to the public today - the first day of the mid-year school holidays - as emergency crews press on with the clean-up.

Oil spill spreads to Chek Jawa & Changi Beach
Joanne Chan Channel NewsAsia 28 May 10;

SINGAPORE : The oil spill caused by the collision of two vessels at sea on Tuesday has spread to Chek Jawa, a wetland off Changi Point.

Oil patches have also been spotted along a 700-metre stretch of Changi Beach between car parks 6 and 7.

Clean up operations are still underway at East Coast Park, amid concerns on the damage on coastal wildlife.

The sand at Changi Beach was coated with oil as cleanup operations continue for a fourth day.

Singapore's Chek Jawa, which is popular with nature lovers, has also been hit.

As of Friday afternoon, oil patches were spotted along a 150-metre stretch of its coastal boardwalk.

The mudflat on Pulau Ubin boasts of several different ecosystems, as well as plants and animals that are no longer common in Singapore.

Contractors and officers have been sent to Chek Jawa, as well as Changi Beach to clear the affected sand and remove the oil.

Environmental groups are concerned that the oil slick will hurt Singapore's precious coastal wildlife.

Some of the oil has made its way to the shoreline, coating the sand and the rocks.

Since Thursday, animal protection group ACRES (Animal Concerns Research And Education Society) has been hard at work - rescuing animals and releasing them back into the wild.

ACRES said it found 20 dead crabs on Thursday. It managed to rescue another three, which were cleaned and released back into the wild at Sembawang Park.

Louis Ng, executive director of ACRES said: "We've seen a lot of dead animals, especially the inter-tidal species. Those are the animals that live on the shoreline. They really have nowhere else to run to. So we're trying to rescue these animals and release them at another site.

"Again, we didn't expect it this bad as well. We thought it was something far out in the ocean, that it won't really hit the shoreline."

As with any oil slick, some damage on the environment can be expected.

Andrew Tan, CEO of National Environment Agency said: "Thus far, the environmental impact has been minimal. We hope it will stay that way. I understand the concerns of the environmental groups. On our part right now, the first priority we have is to make sure that the areas affected by the oil patches are cleaned up so that the public can continue to make use of these places.

"So our first priority is of course public safety, and public use of these areas, because these are very popular recreational areas."

The National Environment Agency said it will conduct a study on the environmental impact of the oil spill once the cleanup is completed.

As for East Coast Parkway, the National Environment Agency said the situation has stablised.

It said large patches of oil have been removed by dispersants. - CNA /ls



Tanker involved in sea collision moved to Johor anchorage
Channel NewsAsia 28 May 10;

SINGAPORE : The tanker MT Bunga Kelana 3 that was involved in the collision at sea and caused an oil spill was moved from her previous location in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) to a Johor anchorage in the east on Friday afternoon.

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said the tanker was certified safe to be moved by the classification society, American Bureau of Shipping.

As a precautionary measure, four tugs equipped with dispersants and containment booms, and another two tugs escorted the vessel.

It arrived at the Johor anchorage safely at about 1.20pm.

MPA said containment and cleanup efforts following the collision between the MT Bunga Kelana 3 and the St Vincent and The Grenadines-registered bulk carrier, MV Waily continued for the fourth day.

Efforts in the waters off Changi East and East Coast Park are ongoing.

21 craft equipped with six skimmers and 1,915 metres of containment booms were deployed.

No significant patches of oil have been observed in the Traffic Separation Scheme off Changi East and within the anchorages of Singapore's port waters.

There are isolated patches of oil close to East Coast Park and Changi East.

Beyond the conventional methods, MPA experimented with imbiber beads which are usually used by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to clean up chemical spills on land.

Imbiber beads are spherical plastic particles that absorb organic liquids.

MPA said results have been encouraging and with support from SCDF, it is deploying more imbiber beads to supplement other efforts.

MPA has also deployed lightweight shallow water booms and a harbour buster to collect and contain oil patches close to East Coast Park.

Harbour buster is an oil spill collection system suitable for deployment in shallow waters.

MPA continues to work with the Indonesian and Malaysian authorities in line with the Standard Operating Procedure for Joint Oil Spill Combat in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore, and has offered its assistance should it be needed.

Traffic in the Traffic Separation Scheme of the Singapore Strait remains unaffected.

MPA said investigations into the accident are ongoing but early findings indicate that weather conditions were clear and traffic was light along the commercial strip at the time of collision.

The public can contact MPA's 24-hour Marine Safety Control Centre at 6325 2489 to report any sighting of oil slick in Singapore's waters or coastlines. - CNA /ls

Beach activities, businesses along East Coast hurt by oil spill
Joanne Chan & Evelyn Choo Channel NewsAsia 28 May 10;

SINGAPORE : The oil spill is hurting not just the environment - but businesses and activities that centre around the beach.

Sailors who want to train for upcoming races such as the Singapore Laser Trophy, Singapore National 420 Champs and Singapore National Byte Champs have been affected by the beach closures due to the oil spill.

Some of the foreign sailors arrived in Singapore early in the hopes of training in local conditions, but their boats have since been docked.

National sailors preparing for the Youth Olympic Games (YOG) also had to move elsewhere.

"For them, we have shifted our training to the north. We are now at the Raffles Marina, the management there has been very kind to allow us to go over there for our training," said Edwin Low, executive director of Singapore Sailing Federation.

Low added that all physical training outdoors has been moved indoors, and gym work has shifted to the Singapore Sports Council.

Businesses are also reeling from the impact.

At the People's Association Water-Ventures Sea Sports Club, windsurfers have also been grounded.

A bicycle rental shop has lost 50 per cent of its customers.

"Of course, we've been affected. There's nobody even on a public holiday," said the bicycle rental shop operator.

He blames the fumes for his business blues.

But hawkers at the nearby food centres said the fumes were present only at the beginning and still enjoy a steady stream of customers.

It is also business as usual at Goldkist Beach Resort. The management said it has yet to receive a single cancellation of bookings since the spill. - CNA /ls

Oil spill hits Changi beach, Chek Jawa
Animal and nature lovers voice concerns
Joanne Chan Today Online 29 May 10;

SINGAPORE - Even as the authorities finished cleaning up 90 per cent of the areas in East Coast Park affected by the oil spill which first hit Singapore on Wednesday - oil patches have begun appearing on Friday in Chek Jawa - a wetland on Pulau Ubin off Changi Point.

The mudflats on Pulau Ubin boast several different ecosystems, as well as plants and animals that are no longer common in Singapore.

The news from the National Environment Agency (NEA) - along with reports by animal protection group, Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres), that it had seen a lot of "dead animals, especially the inter-tidal species" at the oil spill site along East Coast Park yesterday - worry nature conservationists.

Acres executive director Louis Ng said: "Those are the animals that live on the shoreline. They really have nowhere else to run to".

The good news, however, is these inter-tidal species are more hardy than mammals and birds, Mr Ng added.

Acres said sea snails, sea crabs and hermit crabs were among 80 plus animals that volunteers from the group have cleaned free of oil patches before releasing back into the sea. On Friday afternoon, the oil patches on Chek Jawa were spotted along a 150-metre stretch of its coastal boardwalk. It was the fourth day after the collision between two ships off Changi led to 2500 tonnes of crude oil being spilled into the sea.

The National Parks Board (NParks) said it is critical to clean up the oil as soon as possible to prevent seepage into the mud, as that may affect the marine organisms in Chek Jawa. Contractors and officers have been sent there as well as to clear the affected sand and remove the oil.

Conservational International Singapore managing director Landy Eng told MediaCorp the NEA has accepted its offer of 30 to 40 standby volunteers. When notified, they will pitch in when the next slick occurs.

Acres is deciding if it should put in a formal request to the NEA, while Nature Society Singapore president Shawn Lum said it would be "happy to assist the authorities if asked".

Acres and Wild Singapore have also started to informally divide which areas to focus on.

NEA chief executive officer Andrew Tan told MediaCorp, "Thus far, the environmental impact has been minimal. We hope it'll stay that way."

He said NEA's first priority is to clean up the areas affected by oil patches for "public safety and public use" as these are very popular recreational areas.

It will conduct a study on the environmental impact of the oil spill once the cleanup is completed.

To date, NEA and the ship operator AET have mobilised over 245 workers to clean up the oil on the affected beaches and 14 NEA officers are continuing with surveillance at East Coast Park, Changi Beach and Pulau Ubin. As of Friday, 19.6 tonnes of sand contaminated with oil have collected from the beaches at East Coast Park and disposed off at the Semakau Offshore Landfill.

Water activities marred by oil slick ...
But sunseekers pack Singapore's beaches, seaside eateries for the public holiday
Esther Ng Today Online 29 May 10;

SINGAPORE - Watersport training and activities at the East Coast have come to a sticky halt because of the oil spill.

Some 200 sailors, including a few from overseas, who were set to take part in three races next week have not been able to take their boats out.

They were to have been training for the Singapore Laser Trophy, Singapore National 420 Champs and the Singapore National Byte Champs races.

National sailors preparing for the Youth Olympic Games have moved north to Raffles Marina, said Singapore Sailing Federation executive director Edwin Low.

Outdoor physical training have moved indoors, and gym work has shifted from the National Sailing Centre to the Singapore Sports Council.

Windsurfers at the People's Association Water-Venture Sea Sports Club have also been grounded, according to PA Water-Venture business development head Christopher Beh.

Some businesses also continued to take a hit. "There's nobody, even on a public holiday," said the owner of a bicycle rental shop, who did not give his name.

But hawkers at the nearby food centres said they were enjoying a steady stream of customers It was also business as usual at Goldkist Beach Resort which has yet to receive any cancellation.

There was a sizeable crowd at Sentosa's Palawan and Siloso beaches yesterday,

But only three groups of people, out of the 31 that MediaCorp spoke to, said the oil slick made them ditch their usual East Coast Park haunt.

Soybean seller John Tan, 38, said: "I heard about the smell and decided to bring my family to Sentosa instead."

At Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), the casino and the theme park were teeming with people - not because of the oil spill - but because of the Vesak Day public holiday.

RWS' basement car park was full at 4pm. A taxi driver who called the MediaCorp hotline said the queue of cars extended all the way to Keppel Road. Joanne Chan, Esther Ng And Zhao Quan Yin

Collision between MT Bunga Kelana 3 and MV Waily in the Singapore Strait - Update 5
MPA media release 28 May 10;

Containment and clean up efforts following the collision between the Malaysian-registered tanker, MT Bunga Kelana 3 and the St Vincent and The Grenadines-registered bulk carrier, MV Waily continued for the fourth day.

Efforts in the waters off Changi East and East Coast Park are ongoing, with 21 craft equipped with 6 skimmers and 1,915 metres of containment booms deployed. The seaward efforts involved 171 personnel.

No significant patches of oil have been observed in the Traffic Separation Scheme off Changi East and within the anchorages of Singapore's port waters. There are isolated patches of oil close to East Coast Park and Changi East and we are working to contain and clean up these patches.

This morning, MT Bunga Kelana 3 was moved from her previous location in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) to a Johor anchorage in the east. This was after she was certified safe to be moved by the classification society, American Bureau of Shipping. As a precautionary measure, 4 tugs equipped with dispersants and containment booms and 2 further tugs to assist in navigation were deployed to escort the vessel. MT Bunga Kelana 3 arrived at the Johor anchorage safely at about 1:20pm.

Beyond the conventional methods, MPA experimented with imbiber beads which are usually used by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to clean up chemical spills on land. Imbiber beads are spherical plastic particles that absorb organic liquids.Results thus far have been encouraging and with support from SCDF, we are deploying more imbiber beads to supplement other efforts.

MPA has also deployed lightweight shallow water booms and a harbour buster to collect and contain oil patches close to East Coast Park. Harbour buster is an oil spill collection system suitable for deployment in shallow waters.

MPA continues to work with the Indonesian and Malaysian authorities in line with the Standard Operating Procedure for Joint Oil Spill Combat in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore and has offered our assistance should it be needed.

Traffic in the Traffic Separation Scheme of the Singapore Strait remains unaffected.

Members of the public can contact MPA's 24-hours Marine Safety Control Centre at 6325 2489 to report any sighting of oil slick in our waters or coastlines.

Further details will be released when available.

End of release

ISSUED BY THE MARITIME AND PORT AUTHORITY OF SINGAPORE (MPA)

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Oil spill off Changi East: Malaysian reports

Oil spill reaches Teluk Ramunia
The Star 29 May 10;

PENGERANG: Some of the 2,000 tonnes of crude oil, which spilled into the Singapore Strait on Monday, has spread further to Teluk Ramunia.

Department of Environment (DOE) director-general Datuk Rosnani Ibarahim said patches of oil were earlier spotted at Tanjung Ayam and had now reached Teluk Ramunia.

“However, it is not a major cause for concern as only a few patches cand be seen there.

Rosnani said the (DOE) personnel were using the dispersant technique to clean up the oil patches at sea while part of the oil that had transformed into tar balls and washed ashore, was being manually collected.

“We have also installed booms to prevent the oil spill from spreading elsewhere.

“The situation is under control as DOE personnel had anticipated that the oil would spread to Malay-sian waters due to the changing sea current,” she said.

Rosnani, who was in Singapore on Thursday to meet the authorities there, said the republic’s Maritime and Port Authority had already transferred the remaining oil from the damaged tanker into one of its function tanks.

“We are confident that the situation will not worsen.

“Our department is cooperating with the Southern Region Marine Department, the Marine police and the Maritime Enforcement Agency to contain and clean up the oil in our waters,” she said.

Malaysian registered tanker MT Bunga Kelana 3 collided with bulk carrier MV Waily in the strait, about 13km southeast of Changi East on Monday morning, causing the spill.

The Marine Police have deployed three boats to Pengerang waters to patrol the border between the Malaysian and Singaporean waters to prevent boats from going into the affected area.

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