13 Jan (Tue): Talk about marine flatworms
from wild shores of singapore
Exclusive Valentine’s Day Programme: Love Gone Wild
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Job: Intern/part-time student assistants for common palm civet research project
from The Biodiversity crew @ NUS
Dairy Farm Nature Park
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Violet Cuckoo feasting on caterpillars
from Bird Ecology Study Group
The Straits Times AsiaOne 7 Jan 15;
KUALA LUMPUR - The developer of Malaysia's controversial Forest City in the Strait of Johor has denied reports that the 1,600ha reclamation project has been shrunk to a quarter of its size following directives by the Department of Environment (DOE).
Country Garden Pacific View's (CGP's) executive director, Md. Othman, said in a statement on Monday that limiting the project's size was never discussed with the DOE.
"In the most recent discussions, in late December last year, DOE and CGP discussed assessment directives and compliance to high standards. These discussions do not mean that the project size is to be limited or compromised in any way," Mr Othman said in the statement which was issued after a report by The Malaysian Insider said the project will be limited to 405ha.
Quoting unnamed sources, the Insider reported that the new limit was verbally conveyed to the developer, following issues raised by locals as well as the Singapore government over the environmental impact of the project. It was to issue an official decision to CGP next week.
"CGP is in constant communication with multiple stakeholders and the regulatory authorities, ensuring that the project development always takes into consideration the needs of the communities and the environment. The DOE is one such regulatory authority that we engage (with) and consult to ensure full compliance," Mr Othman said in the statement.
The firm said it would release the details of the projects when its "metrics, monitoring and assessment initiatives" had been finalised.
Forest City was originally conceived as a man-made island with a title deed amounting to 2,000ha, about four times the size of Sentosa. Its split into four man-made islands reduced the total land size, which has reportedly been cut again by the DOE.
The DOE made its decision after Singapore presented videos and documentary proof of continued reclamation works for the ambitious China-Malaysia joint venture.
The project involves massive reclamation in the narrow waterway between Singapore and Malaysia off Tuas where luxury homes would be on offer.
Collision Between Oil Tanker and Cargo Ship Spilled Estimated 4,500 Tons of Oil Into Sea
ERIC YEP Asian Wall Street Journal 6 Jan 15;
SINGAPORE—Singapore is scrambling to clean up one of Asia’s largest oil spills in years after two ships collided late last week, amid worries the slick could spread to the nearby Indonesian tourist island of Bintan.
A Libyan-registered oil tanker, the Alyarmouk, and a Singaporean cargo ship, the Sinar Kapuas, collided on Jan. 2 in the busy shipping lanes northeast of Singapore, spilling an estimated 4,500 tons of crude oil into the ocean. While there are no reports of further oil leakage, four vessels with equipment such as dispersants and skimmers have been deployed to the site to contain the oil spill, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore said.
On Tuesday, the maritime authority said that satellite images taken and aerial surveillance didn’t show any oil headed toward Bintan, but the agency also said it had reported a possible sighting of an oil patch northeast of the island to Indonesian authorities, without providing further details.
Over the weekend the maritime authority said patches of oil may affect the northern parts of Bintan. Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment didn’t respond to queries seeking information about the impact of the oil spill on Bintan island.
“By today’s standards 4,500 tons is a significant spill and the largest in this region for some time,” said Euan Graham, Senior Fellow at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
He said Singapore’s shipping lanes are well-regulated and have a good safety record, though this isn't the first collision involving a large oil tanker in area.
“Rough seas in the area may have been a contributing factor to the collision, but may also assist in breaking up the spill,” Mr. Graham said.
The Alyarmouk was traveling from the port of Tanjung Pelapas in Malaysia to China, and the Sinar Kapuas was heading from Hong Kong to Singapore. The Alyarmouk is owned by a shipping group called V. Ships. The company didn’t respond to queries seeking comment. Samudera Shipping Line Ltd. , which owns the Sinar Kapuas, said it is currently investigating the cause of the collision and assessing the damage and impact on the group’s financial performance if any.
Oil spills in excess of 700 tons of oil are classified as large spills, according to the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Ltd., a nonprofit organization that tackles such disasters. The spill off Singapore is more than 10 times larger an oil leak off Bangladesh last month that endangered the world’s largest mangrove forest, and dwarfs the 50 tons spilled in the middle of last year near the popular tourist island of Koh Samet in Thailand.
Since the 1990s, the International Maritime Organization has mandated that oil tankers be built with double hulls, which Mr. Graham says has led to a significant drop in the number of oil spills at sea since. A double-hull oil tanker has an extra layer in its outer structure that reinforces the body of the ship. The Alyarmouk, built in 2008, is a double-hulled vessel.
No further oil leakage from collision near Pedra Branca: MPA
MATTHIAS TAY Today Online 7 Jan 15;
SINGAPORE — The oil leak caused by the collision of two vessels near Pedra Branca island last Friday has been brought under control, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) said in a press release yesterday. The MPA said no further oil spills had been reported around the area.
Last Friday, Libyan-registered oil tank Alyarmouk and Singapore-registered bulk carrier Sinar Kapuas collided near Pedra Branca at around 6am.
The oil spill from Alyarmouk was estimated at around 4,500 tonnes. Both vessels are now anchored north-east of Pedra Branca and in a stable condition.
The MPA said a total of four vessels were deployed with bio-degradable dispersants to deal with the spill.
Aerial surveillance carried out on Monday by International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation, which the MPA had enlisted to provide technical assistance, did not reveal any spread of the oil. The finding was confirmed by satellite images obtained by the MPA.
This quelled fears that the spillage might have spread to the coast of the Indonesian island of Bintan.
The MPA said it would conduct daily aerial surveillance when possible and keep a look out for oil leaks. It will also poll vessels operating in the region on whether any oil patches have been seen.
The MPA added that it would continue to offer its assistance and share available information with the Indonesian authorities.
Collision between Oil Tanker Alyarmouk and Bulk Carrier Sinar Kapuas north-east of Pedra Branca - Update 2
MPA News Release 6 Jan 15;
Following the collision between Libyan-registered oil tanker "Alyarmouk" and Singapore-registered bulk carrier "Sinar Kapuas" reported at about 0600hrs (Singapore Time) on 2 January 2015, there have been no further reports of oil leakage from "Alyarmouk". Both vessels are in stable condition and anchored safely, north-east of Pedra Branca.
Four vessels equipped with dispersants, oil booms and skimmers were deployed to the site to contain the oil spill. Non-toxic and bio-degradable dispersants were used to break up the oil into smaller globules.
MPA has also linked up with International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF) for its technical expertise to assess the nature of the spill. Satellite imagery obtained on 4 January did not show any of the spilled oil headed towards Bintan. Aerial surveillance by ITOPF on the same day also did not show any spilled oil in the vicinity of Bintan.
MPA has been monitoring for sightings of the movement of the oil patches, including conducting daily aerial surveillance when possible. MPA will also continue to poll vessels operating in the region on whether they have spotted any oil patches. One report of a possible sighting of an oil patch off the coast of Tanjong Berakit, north-east of Bintan, was reported to the Indonesian authorities for their investigation.
ELVINA New Straits Times 6 Jan 15;
SEREMBAN: The Malaysian Meteorological Department has issued a widespread thunderstorm warning over the waters of Selangor, Negri Sembilan and West Johor.
In a statement on the website, the thunderstorm was expected to continue until late afternoon on Tuesday.
"This condition may cause strong winds up to 50 kmph and rough seas with waves up to 3.5 meters and dangerous to small boats," it said.
There was also strong winds and rough seas warning with wind of 40 to 50 kmph with waves up to 3.5 meters occurring over the waters off Pahang, East Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Sarawak, Sabah (Interior, West Coast and Kudat) and Labuan.
"This is expected to continue until Thursday," it added.
The statement also pointed out that the condition was particularly dangerous to small craft.
"Any recreational sea activities and sea sports should be avoided," it said.
A shipping warning was also issued by the department with strong Northeasterly winds of 50 to 60 kmph and waves up to 4.5 meters occurring over the waters off Condore, Reef North, Layang-Layang, Palawan, Samui, Tioman, Bunguran, Reef South and Labuan.
It added that the situation was expected to continue until Thursday.
"This condition (of strong winds and rough seas) is dangerous to all shipping and coastal activities including fishing and ferry services."
Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Sabah brace for thunderstorms
HALIM SAID New Straits Times 6 Jan 15;
JOHOR BARU: Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Sabah braced for thunderstorms with strong winds as the Malaysian Meteorological Department issued a yellow stage thunderstorm likely to hit the states between Jan 7 until Jan 9.
Johor is currently experiencing heavy rain but was removed from the list of flood hit states.
The Portal Bencana website, had described the weather phenomenon to be monsoon rain with strong winds.
The thunderstorm will likely to occur in eight of 10 districts in Johor namely Segamat, Ledang, Muar, Batu Pahat, Kluang, Johor Baru, Kulaijaya and Pontian.
STEPHANIE LEE The Star 7 Jan 15;
KOTA KINABALU: The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia wants recreational fishing to be regulated in view of the declining fish stocks in the country.
WWF executive director Datuk Dr Dionysius Sharma said it was important to regulate the activity which was becoming a popular pastime among citizens and tourists.
“There is no database for the management of recreational fishing activities and the Malaysian marine fish stocks are severely depleted. In some active fishing areas, it has been seen to be reduced by as much as 90% of stocks in 1971.
“WWF-Malaysia supports any effort to regulate recreational fishing urgently to address the issue of declining fish stocks,” he said.
Dr Dionysius suggested that regulations should include specific licensing conditions for the various types of recreational fishing with licensing conditions to also provide for bag limit, catch size limit (minimum size of individual fish caught), catch and release and permitted species (avoid threatened species), among others.
“There should also be fishing gear restrictions such as hook types, quota for both individuals and fishing events (limit on total kilograms of fish caught), prohibition of recreational fishing in no-take zones and special licence for vessels to carry recreational fishermen,” he said.
Dr Dionysius explained that while commercial fishing activities had been largely responsible for the removal of juvenile fish and directly causing the decline in fish population, recreational fishing activities compounded this decline with the removal of “mega spawners”, which are large, mature fish, the source of brood stock for the rejuvenation of the fish population.
“This situation has been gradually worsening since 1997,” he said.
Dr Dionysius said cooperation was required from government agencies and the public sector, especially recreational fishermen and angler associations.
“We call upon all to make a concerted effort to adhere to a robust recreational fishing regulation to sustain our nation’s fisheries, protect diverse marine habitats and ecosystems and conserve our marine cultural heritage for future generations,” he added.
Colin Packham PlanetArk 7 Jan 15;
Pacific Ocean temperatures have cooled over the last two weeks, easing away from El Nino thresholds, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said on Tuesday.
Ocean temperatures have oscillated near El Nino thresholds for several months but over recent weeks have again eased, the Australian weather agency said.
Sea surface temperature anomalies have cooled by around 0.4 degrees in the parts of central to eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, the BOM said.
However, temperatures remain above average along much of the equator, the Australian weather agency said.
Beneath the surface, temperatures have also eased closer to average in many areas, the BOM said.
Despite the cooling indicators, the BOM said its climate models continue to show warmer-than-average sea temperatures persisting over the next two-to-three months.
Japan in December declared an El Nino, marking the first declaration by a major meteorological bureau of the much-feared weather phenomenon, which had been widely expected to emerge this year.
Love MacRitchie Walks by Toddycats (Jan-Apr 2015) – Registration OPEN!
from Love our MacRitchie Forest
The Wild Side of Singapore (2014)
from Bugs & Insects of Singapore
Lesser Adjutant Stork in Singapore!
from Go Wild Now!
A beetle at sea
from The annotated budak
Free-living wild birds breeding in your home
from Bird Ecology Study Group
Haikal Latiff Channel NewsAsia 6 Jan 15;
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Management University (SMU) on Monday (Jan 6) launched its GROW initiative to encourage more sustainable living in Singapore. The programme aims to cultivate a harvest of food by encouraging more to pick up gardening.
People across all walks of life - students, staff, faculty members, residents, and business partners - can take part by planting crops at two plots of land outside SMU's School of Accountancy, which have been set aside for the university-wide urban farm programme.
Workshops for staff and faculty members to learn more about growing food in environmentally-friendly ways will be conducted, while healthier meals are expected to be served within the campus.
The GROW programme will also dovetail into the 80-hour community service required of SMU students, and will also be built into the annual community service project of delivering food and household needs to Queenstown residents.
Mayor for Central Singapore District Denise Phua and SMU President Professor Arnoud De Meyer were at SMU on Monday to kickstart the initiative. They planted two saplings of nutmeg - a spice said to bear a long cultural and historical significance in Central Singapore.
Nutmeg was once an important commercial crop in Bras Basah and Orchard Road and can be used for culinary, medicinal and other purposes.
- CNA/av
Malaysian vegetables that cost more include cai xin, Chinese spinach, brinjal, cucumber and chilli.
JESSICA LIM Straits Times 6 Jan 15;
The prices of some vegetables at wet markets here have gone up by as much as 60 per cent, as floods devastate crops on Peninsular Malaysia's east coast, affecting their supply to Singapore.
Malaysian vegetables that cost more include cai xin, Chinese spinach, brinjal, cucumber and chilli.
At a wet market stall in Yew Tee, Malaysian brinjals now sell at $5 per kg, up from $3.50 per kg in the middle of last month, when the massive floods began. At another stall in Serangoon, Malaysian cucumbers now cost $1.60 per kg, up from $1.
Singapore imported 226,500 tonnes, or 44 per cent, of its vegetables from Malaysia in 2013, according to the latest figures from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority. China (26 per cent) and India (6 per cent) are also major suppliers.
The prolonged rainy season in Malaysia has caused a supply drop in the country of between 30 per cent and 40 per cent, The Star newspaper reported, quoting Mr Chong Tek Keong, treasurer of the Federation of Malaysian Vegetables Wholesalers Association.
This means reduced supply for Singapore, as suppliers in Malaysia need to serve their local market first, said Mr John Chia, 52, a wholesaler in Singapore."They then increased prices by at least 20 per cent," said Mr Chia, who owns JnJ Vegetable Suppliers.
For vegetables that make it to Singapore, some have to be thrown away as water-logged greens tend to rot faster, said Mr Law Song Nam, vice-chairman of the Singapore Fruits and Vegetables Importers and Exporters Association.
Despite the supply fall, prices at supermarket chains here, such as NTUC FairPrice, Cold Storage, Giant and Sheng Siong, have so far remained the same.
Said a spokesman for Sheng Siong: "Through procuring from multiple sources, we try as much as possible not to adjust the retail prices of fresh vegetables."
Large retailers also usually have contracts with vegetable wholesalers on a fixed-price basis.
The bad weather has also put a dampener on fish supplies, as fishermen keep their boats moored. Prices of Malaysian fish have inched up about 10 per cent, said the Singapore Fish Merchants General Association.
The good news is that prices of Malaysian produce are expected to return to normal levels by Chinese New Year next month, as weather conditions in Malaysia improve and importers here switch to alternative sources, said Mr Law.
Malaysia's Meteorological Department has said that the weather is gradually improving in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang.
Some consumers such as Mr V. Balakrishnan, who was spotted shopping for vegetables yesterday, are not put off by the price hike. "Yes, prices have gone up, but not by that much," he said. "It's only a few cents, we won't be cutting down."
- See more at: http://www.straitstimes.com/news/singapore/more-singapore-stories/story/some-malaysian-greens-cost-60-more-wet-markets-20150106#sthash.lwkejnz3.dpuf
Ranjeetha Pakiam Bloomberg News 5 Jan 15;
A monsoon surge that brought the worst floods in decades to Malaysia, hurting palm oil output in the second-largest grower, is forecast to move south this week, risking further inundations in Johor and Sarawak. Prices fell.
Heavy rains will probably start on Jan. 7 or Jan. 8 in the two states and could last two or three days, potentially causing floods, according to Ambun Dindang, an officer at the Malaysian Meteorological Department. Johor, at the southern end of Peninsula Malaysia, together with Sarawak in Borneo Island account for about one third of the country’s total production.
Palm oil rallied last week to the highest in almost two months after the severe flooding in the north hurt harvesting, and Ambun’s forecast raises the possibility of a second wave of disruptions further south. The wetter-than-usual weather that stretched from southern Thailand, through Malaysia and into Indonesia also triggered rubber-supply concerns, sending futures into a bull market. The floods will probably cut palm oil output and push prices higher, according to BNP Paribas SA.
“At the moment, the cloudy areas are more towards the sea, just at the northeast of Johor and northwest of Sarawak,” Ambun said in a telephone interview from Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur today. “These patches of clouds are still hovering over this place. So once it moves in, you can see some increase in rainfall amount, especially in Johor and Sarawak.”
Prices Rally
Palm oil for March delivery rose as much as 0.6 percent to 2,297 ringgit ($650) a metric ton on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives today before ending 0.9 percent lower at 2,262 ringgit. Last month, most-active futures advanced 4.3 percent as the floods spread in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang, three states that lie north of Johor along the east coast of Peninsula Malaysia. The price rallied to 2,308 ringgit on Dec. 29, the highest since Nov. 4.
“This could drive prices up,” Michael Greenall, a Kuala Lumpur-based analyst at BNP Paribas, said by phone today, referring to the risk of floods in Johor and Sarawak. “It depends on how severe the long-term impact is, because we don’t know whether there’s any damage to the trees as well if there’s flooding, and how fast these trees will recover.”
Models still show a surge of showers this week, keeping a risk of damage over palm oil areas in Malaysia, Commodity Weather Group LLC, a Bethesda, Maryland-based forecaster, said in a report on Jan. 2.
Floods Possible
“At the beginning of the monsoon season in November and December, normally the northeastern part of Peninsula Malaysia will get this impact of the monsoon surge, and then it propagates to the south,” said Ambun. “Floods are possible,” he said, referring to areas in Johor and Sarawak.
Malaysian output may have dropped 22 percent to 1.36 million tons last month, Ivy Ng, an analyst at CIMB Investment Bank Bhd., wrote in a report dated yesterday, citing a survey by the bank’s futures team. Inventories probably declined to 2 million tons, providing short-term support to prices, Ng said.
Prime Minister Najib Razak is down with E. coli after visiting the flood-hit areas, his media office said in a Twitter posting. Flood victims are concerned about diseases caused by contaminated water, rubbish and carcasses, the Star newspaper reported on its website today.
10 Jan (Sat) evening: Free guided walk at the Pasir Ris mangroves
Adventures with the Naked Hermit Crabs and Sharing Pasir Ris Mangroves with families in our December walk
Red-legged Crake (Rallina fasciata) @ Mandai Lake Road
from Monday Morgue
Today Online 5 Jan 15;
KUALA LUMPUR — China developer Country Gardens Holdings can only develop less than 1,000 acres or a quarter of its controversial 1,600 hectares Forest City project in the Johor Straits under new limits set by the Malaysian Department of Environment (DOE).
The Malaysian Insider has learnt that the DOE has verbally informed Country Garden Pacificview, a joint-venture unit of Country Gardens Holdings, of the new limits after complaints from locals and the Singapore government over reclamation works in the narrow waterway between Malaysia and the island state.
“The DOE has decided to limit the project to the first phase and wait for a few years to see the impact before looking at future phases,” a source told The Malaysian Insider.
“The DOE is expected to send an official letter about its decision soon to relevant parties,” he added.
Country Gardens Holdings is China’s seventh-largest property developer with a market capitalisation of HK$63 billion (S$10.8 billion) as of Dec 31 last year. Its financial revenue for the financial year ended June 30, 2014, was HK$38.3 billion with HK$5.5 billion net profit.
Another source said Malaysian environmental authorities made their decision after Singapore presented videos and documentary proof of continued reclamation works for the ambitious China-Malaysia joint-venture project.
It is understood that the evidence was presented at the last Malaysia-Singapore Joint Commission on Environment (MSJCE) which met last month.
Singapore had raised the issue of reclamation works near its sea border as it had effects on its coastal areas. The reclamation works had also affected Malaysia’s nearby key transhipment hub, the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP).
Last September, the Johor government said it wanted Country Garden Pacificview, the developer of Forest City, to comply with the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before developing the project at Tanjung Kupang, Gelang Patah.
Johor chief minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin had said it was important to ensure issues such as environment were given full attention and regulations were adhered to.
“We hope the developer complies with the requirement to submit an EIA report, which is very important for us to ensure all concerns, including from the environmental aspects, are given attention,” he said in Johor Bahru.
A public dialogue on Forest City’s Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) turned chaotic on September 2 last year, when the developer was confronted with all kind of enquiries from the residents in Kampung Pok affected by the project.
They expressed dissatisfaction for not being consulted before the implementation of the project, which involved the construction of a 1,600-hectare man-made island, which was seen as polluting the environment and jeopardising the area’s marine ecology.
The developers had reportedly voluntarily stopped sea reclamation to build the island, which was 30 per ccent completed, on June 15 last year, although there was no official DOE notice.
The Forest City project, which has gross development value (GDV) estimated at RM600 billion (S$226.7 billion) on reclaimed land, is a joint venture between KPRJ, a Johor state government owned subsidiary and Country Garden Holdings.
Country Gardens first entered Malaysia in 2011 in a joint-venture with Mayland Group to develop two parcels of land in Semenyih and Rawang.
The China developer ventured into Johor in 2012 when it acquired 22 hectares of waterfront and in Danga Bay for nearly RM1 billion. It launched Phase One of the Danga Pay project in 2013 where over 1,500 units were snapped up in three days.
It launched Phase Two of the Danga Bay project in 2014 which has sold over 6,000 units to date. Danga Bay is part of Malaysia’s ambitious Iskandar Region corridor to develop the southern state as the Shenzhen to Singapore. THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER
Malaysia sets new development limits on Johor's Forest City project
Straits Times 5 Jan 15;
JOHOR BARU - China developer Country Gardens Holdings can only develop less than a quarter of its planned Forest City project in Johor Strait, under new limits set by Malaysia's Department of Environment.
The company was informed verbally about the new limits (405ha), Malaysian Insider has reported, after complaints from locals and the Singapore government over reclamation works in the narrow waterway between Malaysian and the city state.
"The DOE has decided to limit the project to the first phase and wait for a few years to see the impact before looking at future phases," the Malaysian Insider quoted a source as saying. An official letter about the decision will be sent to the relevant parties soon, the source said.
The ambitious 1,600ha project, a joint-venture by Country Gardens and a Johor development company, involved massive reclamation off Tuas in the next 30 years. The man-made island was going to measure nearly three times the size of Ang Mo Kio estate and was to offer luxury homes in the Johor Strait.
Singapore had raised the issue of reclamation works near its sea border which would effect its coastal areas. Evidence to the same, in the form of videos and documentary proof, was presented to the Malaysian environmental authorities during the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Commission on Environment (MSJCE) which met last month, another source told the Malaysian Insider.
The reclamation works had also affected Malaysia's nearby key transhipment hub, the Port of Tanjung Pelepas.
Last September, the Johor government said it wanted the developer to comply with the Environmental Impact Assessment. Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin had said it was important to ensure issues such as the environment were given full attention and regulations were adhered to.
A public dialogue on the detailed impact assessment of the City in September last year had turned chaotic, after the developers were bombarded with inquiries from locals who were worried about environment pollution and jeopardy to the area's marine ecology.
Country Gardens Holdings, the parent company of the developers, is China's seventh-largest property developer with a market capitalisation of HK$63 billion (S$10.8 billion) as of Dec 31, 2014.
KL limits Forest City project after concerns over its impact
Today Online 6 Jan 15;
KUALA LUMPUR — China developer Country Gardens Holdings can develop less than 405ha, or only a quarter, of its controversial 1,600ha Forest City project in the Johor Straits, under new limits set by Malaysia’s Department of Environment (DOE), a report yesterday showed.
The Malaysian Insider has learnt that the DOE has verbally informed Country Garden Pacific View, a joint-venture unit of Country Gardens Holdings, of the new limits after complaints from locals and the Singapore Government over reclamation work in the narrow waterway between Malaysia and the island state.
“The DOE has decided to limit the project to the first phase and wait for a few years to see the impact before looking at future phases,” a source told The Malaysian Insider.
“The DOE is expected to send an official letter about its decision soon to relevant parties,” he added.
The Forest City development in the Strait of Johor, near Singapore’s Second Link, involves creating a 1,817ha island almost three times the size of Ang Mo Kio and the construction of luxury homes. The project, which includes a 49ha tourist hub and recreational facilities, is expected to be completed in 30 years’ time.
The ambitious project involves massive land reclamation work. Singapore had previously expressed concern about the possible transboundary impact of the reclamation work near its sea border.
Another source said Malaysian environmental authorities made their decision after Singapore presented videos and documentary proof of continued reclamation work for the China-Malaysia joint-venture project.
It is understood that the evidence was presented at the last Malaysia-Singapore Joint Commission on Environment, which met last month.
Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not issue a response to TODAY’s request for comment.
Analysts said it was difficult to gauge how much interest the project has generated among Singaporeans, but that it was likely investors would have already been cautious about the mega-project because it was on reclaimed land.
“At this point, I think the news hasn’t reached the majority of their consumers,” said Mr Sean Tan, general manager of iProperty Singapore.
“And as a Singaporean investor, obviously they would have to relook how that would affect their investment overall. I think Singaporeans being Singaporean investors, they will have a wait-and-see attitude until the formal letters and legislation have been put through.”
The reclamation work had also affected Malaysia’s nearby key transshipment hub, the Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP).
Last September, the Johor government said it wanted Country Garden Pacificview, the developer of Forest City, to comply with an Environmental Impact Assessment study before developing the project.
Johor Chief Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin had said it was important to ensure issues such as the environment were given full attention and that regulations were adhered to.
A public dialogue on Forest City’s Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment turned chaotic on Sept 2 when the developer was confronted by locals affected by the project who were unhappy about not being consulted before its implementation, which was seen as polluting the environment and jeopardising the area’s marine ecology.
The developers had reportedly voluntarily stopped sea reclamation to build the island, which was 30 per cent completed, on June 15 last year, although there was no official DOE notice.
The Forest City project, which has gross development value (GDV) estimated at RM600 billion (S$225 billion) on reclaimed land, is a joint venture between KPRJ, a Johor state government owned subsidiary, and Country Garden Holdings.
The China developer ventured into Johor in 2012 when it acquired 22ha of waterfront land in Danga Bay for nearly RM1 billion. It launched Phase One of the Danga Bay project in 2013, when more than 1,500 units were snapped up in three days.
It launched Phase Two of the Danga Bay project last year, selling more than 6,000 units to date. Danga Bay is part of Malaysia’s ambitious Iskandar Region corridor, a project to develop the southern state as a special development and economic zone that would attract foreign investors.
Country Gardens Holdings is China’s seventh-largest property developer with a market capitalisation of HK$63 billion (S$10.8 billion) as of Dec 31 last year. Agencies, with additional reporting by Laura Philomin
Malaysia sets new limits on Forest City project
The Straits Times AsiaOne 6 Jan 14;
JOHOR BARU - China developer Country Gardens Holdings can develop only less than a quarter of its planned Forest City project in the Strait of Johor, under new limits set by Malaysia's Department of Environment.
The company was informed verbally about the new limits of 405ha, The Malaysian Insider has reported, after complaints from locals and the Singapore government over reclamation works in the narrow waterway between Malaysia and the city-state.
"The Department of Environment has decided to limit the project to the first phase and wait for a few years to see the impact before looking at future phases," The Malaysian Insider quoted a source as saying. An official letter about the decision will be sent to the relevant parties soon, the source said.
The ambitious 1,600ha project, a joint-venture by Country Gardens and a Johor development company, would have involved massive reclamation off Tuas in the next 30 years. The man-made island was going to measure nearly three times the size of Ang Mo Kio estate, and was to offer luxury homes in the Strait of Johor.
Singapore had raised the issue of reclamation works near its sea border, which would affect its coastal areas. Evidence to the same, in the form of videos and documentary proof, was presented to the Malaysian environmental authorities during the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Commission on Environment, which met last month, another source told The Malaysian Insider.
The reclamation works had also affected Malaysia's nearby key transhipment hub, the Port of Tanjung Pelepas.
Last September, the Johor government said that it wanted the developer to comply with the Environmental Impact Assessment. Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin had said that it was important to ensure issues such as the environment were given full attention and regulations were adhered to.
A public dialogue on the detailed impact assessment of the City in September last year had turned chaotic, after the developers were bombarded with inquiries from locals who were worried about environmental pollution and jeopardy to the area's marine ecology.
Country Gardens Holdings, the parent company of the developers, is China's seventh-largest property developer with a market capitalisation of HK$63 billion (S$10.8 billion) as of Dec 31.
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