Best of our wild blogs: 20 Feb 13

Workshop on Bryozoans and Hydroids: 29 April- 4 May, 2013
from wild shores of singapore

Random Gallery - Chocolate Demon
from Butterflies of Singapore

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PM Lee, PM Najib launch three projects in Johor

S Ramesh Channel NewsAsia 19 Feb 13;

JOHOR BAHRU: The Prime Ministers of Singapore and Malaysia launched two wellness projects in Medini at Iskandar Malaysia and a mixed development project at Danga Bay in Johor Bahru on Tuesday.

Fresh from the launch of joint development projects in Singapore, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak travelled to neighbouring Johor Bahru where the two wellness developments were unveiled.

Afiniti Medini, an urban wellness project, is aimed at becoming a regional destination for families, tourists and professionals. It features a wellness centre, service apartments, a corporate training centre and retail space. Afinity Medini is expected to be completed by the end of 2015.

Both leaders also launched Avira, another resort wellness project at Medini Central which will have homes, serviced apartments and commercial space. The development is expected to be completed in 2018.

The two projects are jointly developed by Khazanah Nasional and Temasek Holdings.

Medini is among the five flagship zones at Iskandar Malaysia and is a 40-minute drive to the Central Business District in Singapore.

Both projects will have a total gross development value of three billion ringgit.

Mr Najib acknowledged that the success of the Iskandar project has exceeded the original plans and there has been a significant increase in investments from Singapore companies in Iskandar Malaysia.

Mr Najib said: "We both agree that we should develop something which develops the true meaning of the word "iconic" and from what I can see it befits the description. This will be truly an iconic and and landmark project which will certainly bring much benefit not only to those people involved in this project and users of this projects, but also indicative of the growing stronger ties of the two countries.

"I would say there is a significant increase of investments from Singapore. During our bilateral discussions this morning, we stressed the importance of the Industrial Working Group to meet on regular basis to encourage investors from Singapore to relocate their investments here, as well as for new investments to take place here in Iskandar."

Mr Lee said: "This is going to be an oasis not only for people from Malaysia or Singapore, but perhaps from all over the region to come and recharge their batteries, enjoy the environment and absorb the spirit of wellness."

He said the Malaysian government had shown commitment and drive to develop Iskandar Malaysia.

Mr Lee said: "A lot of investments have come in from the government, a lot of investment has come in from the private sector and significant amount of that has come from Singapore.

"I believe there is a lot of potential because from Singapore's point of view, we are developing and at the same time, there is a lot of spillover of what Singapore companies which want to expand or companies which want to come to Singapore but can't quite fit into Singapore. I think Iskandar offers a prime opportunity for them.

"As long as the Malaysian government pursues this to develop Iskandar and to link up with Singapore, the prospects are very good and from Singapore's point of view, we are very happy it is going to succeed."

Also launched on Tuesday is a 3.2 billion ringgit joint venture project in Danga Bay - a 20-minute drive from the Causeway.

Mr Najib and Mr Lee witnessed the signing ceremony for the Memorandum of Understanding by CapitaLand, Iskandar Waterfront and Temasek Holdings.

- CNA/fa/de

Next step: Drawing up maritime boundaries
Straits Times 20 Feb 13;

SINGAPORE and Malaysia will draw up maritime boundaries around the disputed areas of Pedra Branca, Middle Rocks and South Ledge, as the next step in their move to close the book on their territorial dispute.

This development follows the completion of a hydrographic survey last year by their joint technical committee, which was set up to implement a 2008 International Court of Justice decision on the disputed territory.

Its completion was welcomed yesterday by Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The next step would be for the committee to move into the delimitation of maritime boundaries, they said in a joint statement after their fourth leaders' retreat.

Progress was also made on several other bilateral fronts, noted the statement.

The first phase of an engineering study into a rapid transit link between Johor Baru and the Republic Polytechnic MRT station of the forthcoming Thomson Line in Singapore has been completed, it said.

At a joint press conference yesterday, PM Lee said details - such as if the rapid transit link will be underground or overhead - will be revealed soon, hopefully before the next leaders' retreat next year.

The Joint Ministerial Committee on Iskandar Malaysia is also studying how to ease traffic congestion on the Causeway, and the feasibility of a "third road link" between the two countries in the longer term.

The statement touched on Singapore's water supply from Malaysia too, noting that both prime ministers "encouraged the Singapore and Johor water authorities to continue their excellent working relationship".

In addition, they endorsed both countries' resolve to expand the frequencies for Long Term Evolution (LTE), or 4G, mobile services.

These frequencies will be freed up as they move their TV services from analogue to digital broadcasting.

Close cooperation between the civil service of both countries and the importance of adopting best practices to address areas of environment concern were also noted in the statement.

It concluded by underscoring both prime ministers' support of Asean and its "central role in the region's evolving architecture".

They expressed confidence in its progress towards the goal of creating an Asean Community through economic integration and people-to-people links by 2015.

Malaysia, S'pore ties set to soar with projects
New Straits Times 20 Feb 13;

JOINT-VENTURE BOOSTS: State investment arms of both countries involved in projects worth multi-billion ringgit

DATUK Seri Najib Razak arrived in the island republic yesterday to begin a visit that will mark the beginning of a new era in bilateral relations between Malaysia and Singapore.

For the first time, the state investment arms of both countries -- Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Singapore's Temasek Holdings Ltd -- will be involved in mega joint venture projects with multi-billion ringgit in gross development value (GDV), bringing bilateral economic cooperation to greater heights.

The buzz is especially apparent in Johor, where another feather will be added to the Iskandar Malaysia cap, to the tune of RM11 billion in GDV.

The prime minister and his Singaporean counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong, will launch the 2ha "urban wellness" project in Medini North with a groundbreaking ceremony.

They will also unveil the name and logo for the project, which involves a five-storey building housing a spa, a training centre, gymnasium, shops and the like.

Khazanah and Temasek are also involved in the "resort wellness" project in Medini Central with an estimated GDV of RM3 billion.

The project, covering more than 80ha, will see houses, condominiums, apartments and shops being built.

Also in Johor, Iskandar Waterfront Holdings Sdn Bhd and two Singapore government-linked companies will jointly develop 28ha strategically located at Danga Bay with a GDV of RM8 billion.

Earlier in the day, the two prime ministers will unveil the model of a project by M+S Pte Ltd, a 60:40 joint venture between Khazanah and Temasek to develop projects in Marina South and Ophir-Rochor in Singapore.

The progress of the three Khazanah-Temasek projects are the focus of the 4th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders' Retreat this time around.

Also on the agenda is the discussion of the recently concluded technical study regarding a Rapid Transit System (RTS) rail link that will connect Johor Baru and Singapore.

Foreign Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, who spoke to reporters prior to the start of the retreat yesterday, said a Joint Engineering Study (JES) by both countries on the RTS had been commissioned and completed in November.

Both governments have been given 12 months since that time to decide whether they would want to move into phase two of the study.

The first phase of this study involved the identification of alignment and station scheme options with a detailed assessment for the overall transport system.

A rapid transport system by rail is seen as a boon for those residing on both sides of the Causeway, as commuters who travel daily between the two cities number in the hundreds of thousands.

"Both governments have up to 12 months to decide on the preferred options before JES Phase 2 can commence," said Anifah.

The idea for an RTS between the two cities has been floating around for some time and, if it is set up, would be linked up with Singapore's mass rapid transit system.

The RTS is among three projects outlined under the implementation of the Points of Agreement (POA) on Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd land in Singapore.

With 10 ministers and Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman as part of Najib's working visit, Anifah said many other discussions were expected to be held in the 11/2-day retreat.

The Malaysian delegation will discuss further on initiatives that were outlined during the last retreat in Putrajaya on Jan 15 last year.

Anifah said discussions on various cooperation under the Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia were part of the itinerary.

"Discussion will delve into the fields of transport, tourism, immigration and industrial cooperation. Both sides will further explore new initiatives between Malaysia and Singapore at all levels."

Anifah said bilateral ties between both nations were excellent and were expected to be further boosted during the retreat.

Najib, who arrived by flight in Singapore at 4pm yesterday, was welcomed by Anifah and Singapore Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam.

Later, he and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, attended a private dinner hosted by Lee and his wife at the Fullerton Bay Hotel.

Deal on RM8.1b Danga Bay project inked
Ben Tan and Rizalman Hammim New Straits Times 20 Feb 13;

JOHOR BARU: Iskandar Waterfront Sdn Bhd (IWSB), CapitaLand Malaysia Pte Ltd and Singapore's state investment arm Temasek Holdings Ltd signed a "heads of agreement" yesterday to jointly acquire and develop parcels of land in Danga Bay here for a planned RM8.1 billion mixed integrated development.

The deal is considered the biggest entry into Johor's Iskandar Malaysia by Singaporean investors.

Yesterday's signing ceremony, held at the Danga Bay Convention Centre here, was witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his Singapore counterpart, Lee Hsien Loong.

Present were Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman and Temasek chief executive officer Ho Ching.

CapitaLand Malaysia was represented by its president and group chief executive officer, Lim Ming Yan, Temasek by its senior managing director for investments, David Heng, and IWSB by its managing director, Tan Sri Lim Kang Hoo.

The Johor government, through Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor (KPRJ), the investment and project implementation arm of the state, has substantial interest in IWSB.

CapitaLand Malaysia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of CapitaLand Limited, which is one of Asia's largest real estate companies. This marks the first direct large-scale township investment and development in Malaysia by CapitaLand.

The agreement is subject to detailed terms and conditions and has yet to be finalised.

The joint venture will acquire 3.1 million sq ft (28.5ha) of freehold land in A2 Island for RM811 million. Ca-pitaLand Malaysia will have a 51 per cent stake, followed by IWSB (40 per cent) and Temasek (nine per cent).

Ghani, who is KPRJ chairman, described the venture with CapitaLand and Temasek as a "landmark deal" which would spur other major regional players to relook investment opportunities in Iskandar Malaysia.

"This joint venture with two of Singapore's reputable partners will give confidence to others waiting on the sidelines that investment in Iskandar Malaysia is an opportunity not to be missed."

He said this was an example of the "feel good sentiment" that was now prevailing on both sides of the border, thanks to the hard work of both Najib and Lee in strengthening bilateral ties.

Lim said work on the project would begin early next year.

"We are confident this joint venture will draw others to explore investment opportunities in the Danga Bay waterfront city development. IWSB will be assured of a constant stream of recurring income."

IWSB is the master developer of 1,600ha of prime waterfront land here. The land bank includes 800ha in Danga Bay and strategic parcels within the Johor Baru city centre, the Tebrau coast in the eastern corridor of the city and Desaru in the east coast of Johor.

IWSB is actively seeking strategic local and foreign partners to develop high-impact projects and create new business and tourist destinations within its proposed waterfront city.

About 220ha have already been acquired by investors. They include Dijaya Corp Bhd, China's Country Garden Holdings Co Ltd, Australia's Walker Corp and Brunsfield Group.

CapitaLand Malaysia will undertake the lead in the development of A2 Island.

The project will be developed over 10-12 years.

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Students invited to submit short videos on climate change

Sharon See Channel NewsAsia 19 Feb 13;

SINGAPORE: The National Climate Change Secretariat is inviting students to submit short videos to inspire Singaporeans to take action against climate change.

This follows last year's short film competition that had students submitting videos on Singapore becoming a climate change resilient city.

The theme this year is "Be the Change. It Starts with You.".

The winning entries will be uploaded on the secretariat's YouTube channel or possibly used for broadcast.

At the launch event, the secretariat also gave out prizes to those who won last year's Technology Project Challenge.

Coming in first in the tertiary category was Tay Xyian Xiet, a mechanical engineering undergraduate from National University of Singapore, with an innovation that can improve energy efficiency in air-conditioning systems by first lowering humidity levels.

Tay said: "Our human comfort is determined by two things - temperature and the humidity levels. Even though in Singapore, it is the same temperature as let's say Australia, it actually feels much hotter here because our humidity level is much higher, around say 80 per cent, while Australia's is 60 per cent. We can actually save energy if we can dry the air without cooling it. It is able to make us equally comfortable and at the same time save energy."

- CNA/fa

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Is cloud seeding preventing further flooding in Indonesia?

Scientists claim rainfall has reduced since the project began, but experts call for more evidence
Dyna Rochmyaningsih guardian.co.uk 19 Feb 13;

Indonesia is banking on an unusual strategy to prevent further flooding in its inundated capital Jakarta, and officials claim that they are already seeing positive results.

They are using 'cloud seeding' — a weather modification technology often resorted to during drought. The method involves injecting clouds with substances that encourage the formation of ice crystals heavy enough to fall, thereby speeding up the production of rain.

Rain is the last thing that Indonesia needs now, as it has been experiencing heavy rainfall since mid-January.

But Indonesian scientists believe that inducing rains to fall over the ocean before the rainclouds reach the city will help prevent further flooding in Jakarta.

"We are mimicking nature. It is easy to make rain in most clouds above the sea. We found out that salt from sea water, which evaporates from the sea, accelerates the rain process because it encourages the cloud particles to adsorb water," Tri Handoko Seto, a top official of the Weather Modification Technical Unit of the Agency for the Assessment and Application of Technology, tells SciDev.Net.

Last month (26 January), military planes carrying tonnes of salt started the cloud seeding operation scattering salt onto rainclouds across the ocean. The operation is expected to last two months.

The operation has come into the national spotlight recently because of the Indonesian government's claims that it had succeeded in decreasing Jakarta's rainfall rate, particularly from 26­-29 January when local meteorologists had predicted heavier rains and flooding.

"We have conducted an evaluation using the data in our radar device, which records cloud development and movement. From our analysis, cloud seeding contributed to the decrease of rainfall in Jakarta during this period," says Seto.

But Zev Levin, chair in atmospheric physics at Tel Aviv University in Israel, says that it is difficult to prove how much rain would have fallen before reaching the city had the clouds not been seeded.

To prove the effectiveness of cloud seeding, Levin says, well designed experiments must be conducted based on robust statistical design with an unseeded control area and random allocation of seeding.

"In this case, Indonesia can't prove the success of their cloud seeding operation because they have no control area," says Levin.

He adds that cloud seeding in Indonesia will do nothing or very little to modify the weather because tropical clouds are not easy to modify.

"The dynamics of the clouds dominate the rain process and any attempt to modify it will only play secondary role at best," says Levin.

But Seto defends their programme and says that they will submit their work for publication in international journals to refute claims that their operations are not scientific.

Scientists produced the first evidence that cloud seeding can boost long-term rainfall in 2009. But they also urged caution over the technique due to unrealistic claims about its success and difficulties faced in comparing clouds to prove if the technique really works.

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Best of our wild blogs: 19 Feb 13

Green Drinks: The Population White Paper and Implications on the Environment from Green Drinks Singapore

23 Feb (Sat): Talk on "Secret Shores of Singapore" at Woodlands Library from wild shores of singapore

The Challenge To Educate and Save
from Gamefish And Aquatic Rehabiliation Society

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Shipping slump? Not for our ports

Jonathan Kwok Straits Times 19 Feb 13;

CASUAL observers of the global maritime sector will be familiar with the five-year shipping slump, which has seen many smaller firms go under, be forced to consolidate or be acquired by larger liners.

Since 2008, even the most well-known global container liner firms have been hit, with profits well down - if they are even making money at all.

The giants generally suffered losses in 2009, before a tentative recovery helped them to flip to the black in 2010. 2011 turned out to be another loss-making year for most liners with the recoveries coming only in the later part of last year.

The financial figures have see-sawed in such a pattern at Singapore's Neptune Orient Lines (NOL) and Denmark's Maersk Line, the world's biggest container shipping operator.

The recent tough times were highlighted in a recent note by offshore specialist DNB Bank, which declared that "we have just entered the sixth year of the shipping downturn".

However, Singapore's port has managed to pack in strong growth during the same years of the shipping downturn, growing strongly on several measures used to chart port performance.

Vessel arrival tonnage - a measure of the combined capacity of ships calling here - has risen almost 40 per cent since 2008, to last year's estimated 2.25 billion gross tonnes.

And the sale of bunker fuel has grown over 20 per cent in this period, to about 42.7 million tonnes last year.

Singapore is tops worldwide in both these measures, and the numbers make for encouraging reading for the maritime sector, which employs more than 170,000 people and contributes to 7 per cent of economic output.

Incongruence

SO WHY the incongruence between the downbeat fates of the shipping lines and the strong growth in Singapore's port?

The basic reason lies in the vastly different economics underpinning the ports and shipping sectors.

Essentially the key problem facing the shipping firms is that they ordered too many new ships in the boom years leading up to 2008. This excessive optimism led to an oversupply of ships when the new builds were eventually delivered.

With all the glittering new vessels lying around, the shipping companies tried to gain market share by slicing freight rates - but this in turn bit hard into bottom lines and even forced some firms into the red.

"Container shipping, in an oversupply situation, is a commoditised business," NOL's chief executive officer Ng Yat Chung said last year.

This means that firms tend to compete on price and customers have many providers to pick and choose from. High fuel costs are also a headache for the liners.

But underlying all this, global trade was growing every year except in 2009. In 2011, when shipping firms were awash in red, the volume of world merchandise trade grew 5 per cent and the World Trade Organisation expects 2.5 per cent growth last year and a 4.5 per cent rise this year.

Asian trade growth has been even faster, helping Singapore's port and competitors like Shanghai and Malaysia to grow their businesses.

While Singapore's port has done well to distinguish itself, it still faces key challenges that it has to overcome in order to grow further.

Land constraints

SINGAPORE'S container terminals are run by PSA Corp and located at Tanjong Pagar, Keppel, Brani and Pasir Panjang. A port in Jurong handles "bulk" cargo not carried in containers, such as steel products, cement and copper slag.

Together, these facilities occupy about 600ha of space - just a fraction of Singapore's total land area of 714.3 sq km, or 71,400ha.

Still the sector, like all other industries, faces the challenge to raise productivity while using as little land as possible.

It is encouraging then that the Government is planning way ahead in this aspect. It has outlined a longer-term scheme to concentrate port activities in Tuas.

The upcoming Tuas Port will sit on 1,700ha of reclaimed land, according to the Government's recently released Land Use Plan.

The City Terminals - those at Tanjong Pagar, Keppel and Brani - will move to Tuas after the lease for their land expires in 2027.

"This consolidation will increase efficiency through greater economies of scale and provide the opportunity to introduce new technology and processes to meet the future challenges of container shipping," said Mr Lam Yi Young, chief executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, which is the statutory board overseeing the sector.

The plan is for Tuas Port to be able to handle up to 65 million standard-sized containers every year - more than double the 31.6 million containers handled last year.

The Government is sourcing for novel ideas to design Tuas Port. It launched a global contest with a US$1 million (S$1.24 million) top prize to design a new-age container port last year, with winners expected to be announced this year.

Regional competition

WHILE the land issue can be solved by careful planning and innovation, competition poses a larger challenge as the ball may not be in Singapore's court.

The Republic's main business is in trans-shipment - meaning the vast majority of cargo arriving here is promptly loaded onto another ship to be moved elsewhere.

The other main trans-shipment hubs in the region are Hong Kong and Johor's Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP).

As if these are not enough, other countries are also not sitting idly by.

Ports in South Korea and China have been looking to catch up, and Indonesia is starting on a new trans-shipment port in Tanjung Sauh, an island between Batam and Bintan. This is set to challenge Singapore, as PTP has done.

Overseas ports may offer lower rates than Singapore, and some have succeeded in luring shipping lines over. For instance, PTP attracted Maersk and Evergreen Marine Corp - the second largest shipping firm - to move much of their operations there from 2000 to 2002.

The moves worried Singapore's economic planners for a while, but they are now comforted that Singapore's volumes have remained ahead of most of its regional competitors', PTP included.

Threats will exist in the longer term if other cities replicate Singapore's maritime eco-system, but the consensus is the Republic's lunch should be safe in the short to medium term if it continues to raise productivity while maintaining a pro-business environment.

After all, developing a hub like Singapore's will take many years. In recent years, Singapore has also managed to fend off competition by a mix of planning and good fortune.

In terms of planning, the Government has managed to grow a "maritime cluster" including ship financing, shipbroking, legal and technical services, research capabilities and manpower development, so that all the business needs of firms can be satisfied.

This complements the wide network of shipping lines that call here - a "hub effect" that allows firms to easily transfer cargo to another company's ship to be moved elsewhere. This has given Singapore's port an edge over South-east Asian competitors such as Malaysia's PTP.

Good luck comes in the form of Singapore's location which has provided an advantage over its other main competitor Hong Kong, which is grappling in recent years with China's slowing growth. South-east Asia and South Asia are seeing more business and production work, which is benefiting Singapore.

"There's more manufacturing being done in Vietnam and in Bangladesh for items like textiles," said Mr Andrew Chiang, regional head of Asia for shipping, offshore and logistics at DNB Bank. "As these countries have less developed ports they usually use the port in Singapore (to ship the goods farther away)."

The result is that Singapore's container-handling numbers last year grew more than those of any regional competitor.

Singapore's figures grew 5.7 per cent to 31.6 million containers - more than PTP's 2.9 per cent - while Hong Kong's port volumes actually contracted by 5.3 per cent.

The world's top container handling port is Shanghai but it is more of an end-destination port for moving goods in and out of China. This means it is not a direct competitor to Singapore's trans-shipment operations, but Singapore still managed to close the gap on it last year.

Shanghai's volumes grew 2.5 per cent, less than Singapore's 5.7 per cent.

"It is easy to copy some measures like financial incentives, but harder for others," said Mr Chiang. "If viewed as a package, the competition is hard pressed to replicate Singapore's success."

The challenges of land and competition may appear daunting but the country should overcome them - in the medium term at least - through foresight, continued careful planning, and a good dose of luck.

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Malaysia-Singapore Rapid Transit System gets the green light

Nelson Benjamin The Star 19 Feb 13;

SINGAPORE: Malaysia and Singapore have agreed to go ahead with the Rapid Transit System (RTS) linking Johor Baru with the republic.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said both countries had a year to draft the plans on the preferred option for the RTS.

He added that under phase one, the alignment and station scheme options would be identified.

“Once this is decided, we can move to phase two,” Anifah said during a briefing on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's two-day working visit to Singapore which began yesterday.

It is learnt that among the options being considered is a bridge or an underground tunnel link.

Singapore had earlier announced that its Thomson mass rapid transit (MRT) line would be opened in stages from 2019.

The 30km line will run through the north-south corridor of the island republic, starting in Woodlands, the area closest to Johor Baru via the Causeway, and passing through industrial, residential and shopping districts before ending at Marina Bay.

The S$18bil (RM44bil) line will be completely underground and is expected to serve 400,000 commuters daily.

Anifah said leaders from both countries were expected to discuss the progress and implementation of the Points of Agreement.

“Both leaders will also travel to Iskandar Malaysia in Johor to launch the ground-breaking ceremony of the Urban and Resort Wellness project.

He added that it involved a 2ha “Urban Wellness” project in Medini North and a 84ha “Resort Wellness” in Medini Central.

Other issues to be discussed include cooperation in aviation and airport services between Senai and Changi airports as well as the establishment of ferry and water taxi services between Puteri Har-bour in Iskandar and Tuas in Singapore.

Anifah added that there was steady progress in the implementation of initiatives under the Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia including in transport, immigration, tourism, environment and industrial cooperation.

Malaysia-Singapore high-speed rail link
The Star 20 Feb 13;

SINGAPORE: Malaysia and Singapore have agreed to build a high-speed rail link between the city state and Kuala lumpur.

The link will cut travelling time between the two destinations to just 90 minutes, from the hours it now takes by rail and road.

The two countries also agreed on a rapid transit system linking Singapore's Mass Rapid Transit system with Johor Baru.

Both Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his counterpart Lee Hsien Loong described the speed-link project as a “game changer” .

“This project will change the way we do business, look at each other and interact,” said Najib.

“We hope to meet the 2020 deadline for the project,” he told a joint press conference after the annual leaders retreat here.

The two mass “people mover” projects are part of multi-billion ringgit business deals between the two countries.

These include a wellness project at Nusajaya in Johor and a mixed development project between Iskandar Waterfront Holdings Sdn Bhd and the Singapore Government investment arm Temasek in Danga Bay worth RM8.1bil.

Najib said the high-speed rail link would be built via public-private partnership with strong government participation.

“It will be on the basis of private sector funding with the government providing structural support and participation.”

Lee said the project would make it faster to travel between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore by rail than by air, including waiting time.

He recalled that Najib mooted the idea of the link at a meeting some months ago and he felt that it was a good idea.

On the rapid transit system, Lee said the two countries had 12 months to decide on whether to build a bridge or an undersea tunnel between the two countries.

Later the two leaders unveiled the Marina One project, which is in the heart of Singapore's new central business district undertaken by M+S Pte Ltd, a company owned 60:40 by Khazanah Holdings Bhd and Temasek.

They were also updated on the integrated development DUO joint venture. The two projects have a gross development value of S$11bil (RM26.4bil).

The leaders lauded the excellent progress in relations between the two countries since the Points of Agreement was settled in 2010.

In a three page statement, they agreed to intensify existing cooperation and explore new ways to leverage on the complementarities between Singapore and Iskandar, just across the island republic.

They agreed among others to look into the feasibility of a third road link between the two countries in the long term, and establishing new ferry terminal and Customs, Immigration and Quarantine facilities at Puteri Harbour in Johor this year.

Singapore, Malaysia agree on high-speed rail link
Imelda Saad Channel NewsAsia 19 Feb 13;

SINGAPORE: The leaders of Singapore and Malaysia have agreed to build a high-speed rail link between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur that will significantly cut travel time for commuters to just 90 minutes!

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak made the announcement after a retreat in Singapore on Tuesday.

Both described the upcoming project as a "game changer" that will give both countries greater stakes in each other's prosperity and success.

The Leaders' Retreat is an annual meeting for both prime ministers to take stock of bilateral ties and discuss areas of further cooperation.

Since the resolution of the Points of Agreements in 2010, relations have progressed steadily.

Mr Lee said it was Mr Najib who first mooted the idea of a high-speed rail link, some months back.

Mr Lee said: "It's a strategic project for the two countries. It will change the way we see each other. It's the way people in London and Paris are able to - think of it like twin cities where you can commute, go up there, do business, meet friends have a meal and come back, all within maybe two-thirds of a day.

"And I think it's going to be a game-changer. It will transform the way people interact, the intensity of our cooperation and the degree in which we become inter-dependent on one another and therefore have stakes in each other's success."

Mr Najib agreed. He said: "It will change the way we do business, the way we look at each other, the way we interact. And it will be seamless in every sense of the word. Within a mere 90 minutes from door to door, people can travel from KL to Singapore and vice versa.

"So, I'm excited about the project. We will certainly do our level best to meet the 2020 deadline. It may go slightly beyond that but those are details in implementation."

The distance between Singapore and the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur is about 315km.

Currently, it can take up to 8 hours by train between the two cities; by bus or car, up to 5 hours; and flight, about 45 minutes.

Mr Lee said: "90 minutes, travel time, that should be faster than even taking a plane if you add in the waiting time at both ends. I think it will become like, as Prime Minister Najib said, like between the European cities where you consider the two cities as one virtual urban community; I can live in one city, I can work on the other side, I can come back the same day.

"It's happened in Europe, it's happened in Taiwan between Taipei and Kaohsiung with their high speed train. I think it will happen in China, because they've built a high speed train network, and if you look at Southeast Asia, and you talk about connectivity between ASEAN countries then a high speed train between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur is the link that makes the most sense.

"The population is there, the economic vitality is there, the spending power is there. The rationale is good."

Mr Najib said the project will be a partnership between the private and public sectors.

He also said: "We will draw on each other's experience. Of course, Singapore has got many years of experience running the MRT. We can look at modalities in other countries...UK, France...Madrid, Barcelona, and you've got the cities in China as well, connected by high speed rail.

"Those are example of projects we can use as a basis for us to work out very doable, practical model for this rail link between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. The important thing is this is huge, this is big, this is a real game-changer."

The leaders have tasked the joint ministerial committee to look into details and modalities of the high-speed rail link.

The high-speed rail link will also complement another rail project - the Rapid Transit System Link that will link Johor Bahru in southern Malaysia to Singapore's local trains along the upcoming Thomson Line that is expected to be ready by 2019.

In the longer term, both sides will also look into the possibility of a third road link between the two countries.

Also launched on Tuesday by the two prime ministers were two wellness projects in Medini at Iskandar Malaysia and a mixed development project at Danga Bay.

The leaders also noted the progress of the joint developments by Malaysia's Khazanah Nasional and Singapore's Temasek Holdings in Singapore (by M+S Pte Ltd) and in Iskandar Malaysia (by Pulau Indah Ventures Sdn Bhd).

Both sides have also agreed on the final composition and terms of reference of the Industrial Cooperation Workgroup.

This group will be spearheaded by Singapore's Economic Development Board and Malaysia's Investment Development Authority.

It will explore mutually beneficial economic activities and facilitate the hiring of skilled workers, among other things.

Tuesday's retreat is the fourth between Mr Najib and Mr Lee.

With the Malaysian General Election looming, Mr Najib said he would like to see continuity in these long-term projects.

The next leader's retreat is scheduled for 2014, in Malaysia.

- CNA/al/ir

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Reformed U.N. formula for making planet greener to get first test

Alister Doyle PlanetArk 18 Feb 13;

A new United Nations plan to involve all nations in marshalling science to fix environmental problems ranging from toxic chemicals to climate change will be put to the test from Monday at talks in Nairobi.

The 40-year-old U.N. Environment Programme will open its annual governing council to all the world's almost 200 nations, up from a current group of 58, under reforms aimed at making the world economy greener at a time of weak economic growth.

"A strengthened UNEP will ... improve and enhance international cooperation on the environment," Achim Steiner, executive director of UNEP, said of the annual February 18-22 meeting in a telephone interview with Reuters.

Environment ministers or senior officials from about 150 nations are due to attend, out of almost 200 possible worldwide. Until now, UNEP's governing council has left out many smaller states, from Guyana to Albania.

The shift is meant to sharpen world focus on problems such as toxic chemicals, over-fishing and global warming. Getting more countries in the room will not necessarily make reaching agreements easier but should give UNEP decisions more authority.

Steiner said the talks would be a first chance to see how the new approach works. UNEP oversees many scientific studies guiding U.N. work, such as monitoring climate change or the pace of extinction of animals and plants.

Under an agreement last year at an Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, UNEP will get a bigger budget. "By (February 22) the plan is that we will have the final steps in implementing the Rio summit's decisions to reform UNEP," Steiner said.

The Rio deal fell short of calls by some nations, such as France, to create a completely new U.N. environment agency.

"The seeds of what we are seeing will be seen only 5 or 10 years down the line," Steiner said.

"One of the major issues is a new strategy for the organization and a programme of work for the next 3 years," Steiner said of the Nairobi talks that will lay guidelines for work on issues from oceans to slowing extinctions.

OZONE, MERCURY

UNEP has registered some successes, such as the 1987 Montreal Protocol for limiting emissions of gases blamed for thinning the planet's protective ozone layer, or a treaty due to be signed in Japan this October to limit toxic mercury.

Climate change has proved far tougher to solve as global emissions of greenhouse gases have continued to rise. China, the United States and the European Union are top emitters.

Governments aim to work out a deal by the end of 2015 to slow global warming and make it effective from the end of 2020. World leaders including U.S. President Barack Obama failed to nail down a treaty at a summit in Copenhagen in 2009.

"On the current trajectory of negotiations it is not easy to see how by 2015 a new framework agreement will emerge," Steiner said. But some nations have been acting on their own and extreme events, such as a melt of the Arctic sea ice, droughts, floods and powerful storms, have underscored the risks.

"It is becoming more and more clear in the minds of the public that climate change is ... a clear and present danger that will require us to act," he said.

UNEP has overall responsibility for environmental problems among U.N. agencies but talks on fixing global warming are overseen by the Bonn-based U.N. Climate Change Secretariat.

(Reporting by Alister Doyle; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

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Best of our wild blogs: 18 Feb 13

Latest Green Jobs in Singapore [11 - 17 Feb 2013]
from Green Business Times

Dredging off Cyrene Reef and other Southern coastal works
from wild shores of singapore

Hantu bloggers - One seahorse for you, and many seahorses for me! from Psychedelic Nature

From Bukit Brown to Lornie Trail
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

Javan Myna with deformed wing
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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Indonesia: Sumatran tigers breed well in South Bukit Barisan

Antara 17 Feb 13;

Palembang, South Sumatra (ANTARA News) - World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) in Indonesia said that at least 80 Sumatran Tigers (Panthera tigris sumatrae) are breeding well in South Bukit Barisan National Park.

"Dozens of tigers live well in the forests of South Sumatra and Lampung," said Project Leader of WWF Indonesia Job Charles here on Sunday.

According to him, despite the fact that human activities have threatened the tigers` habitat, the breeding of this species pans out in Sumatra's national parks.

The success of the tiger breeding is thanks to the cooperation between nature lovers and the local community who help protect the habitat of the tigers.

"The WWF along with other institutions and local communities are continuously preserving the habitat in order to promote the tiger's breeding and increase the population," said Charles.

The NGO activists, said Charles, conduct patrol in the habitat regularly.

According to the WWF, the population of tigers on Sumatra Island is around 200 heads. "The species will not extinct if the whole communities are actively helping preserve their habitats and let the tigers breed optimally," said Charles.

Previously, Sarah Christie, Zoological Society of London (ZSL)'s head of regional conservation said in a statement that a camera trap caught video of a mother tiger and her two cubs in a protected Sumatran forest, the first evidence of breeding in this location, conservationists say.

The footage was captured in Sumatra's Sembilang National Park. Scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) have documented evidence before of the endangered species in nearby Berbak National Park in Sembilang Conservation area, Jambi Province.

The video of these big cats shows the mother and her two youngsters walking past the camera. Scientists said they estimate the cubs are less than a year old. They live in their original habitat in mangrove forest, said Sarah.

"We will continue working with leaders of both national parks as well as the government to ensure the areas are better protected and well patrolled," she said.

(B019/F001)

Editor: Ade Marboen

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Best of our wild blogs: 17 Feb 13

April: Free Pasir Ris mangrove boardwalk walk
from Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs

Life History of the Tawny Coster
from Butterflies of Singapore

Myna Having a Free Cool Drink
from Bird Ecology Study Group

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Best of our wild blogs: 16 Feb 13

The last kampong in Singapore
from Rojak Librarian

Chek Jawa with long driftnet
from wild shores of singapore

Black-naped Oriole stole an egg
from Bird Ecology Study Group

World Pangolin Day 2013
from EDGE Blog

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