Best of our wild blogs: 3 May 16

Come for Pesta Ubin 14 May to 12 Jun!
wild shores of singapore

Why did the giant clam cross the road?
Neo Mei Lin

Semakau North with Giant Clam finds
wonderful creation

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Visitors bugged by litter at scenic spots

Aw Cheng Wei, The Straits Times AsiaOne 3 May 16;

Visitors to three popular beauty spots have recently complained about a spate of littering - and they believe they know who the culprits are.

The trash, usually found in spots near military training grounds, is suspected by hikers to have been left by those who were in the vicinity for military exercises.

Empty food ration packets, mess tins and transparencies bearing map markings have been found around Upper Peirce and Seletar reservoirs, as well as a beach near Pasir Ris.

Ms Debbie Fordyce, a rights activist, has been walking at the reservoirs for more than a decade and picks up litter when she sees it.

On April 10, she collected 64 empty ration packets, 23 clear plastic bags used to hold these rations and other items such as water bottles wrapped in green socks. "The trash filled seven full plastic bags," she said. Two weeks later, when she visited the same clearing, she and her nephew - together with this reporter - collected four bags of litter.

A biker, who wanted to be known only as Mr Koh, said he sees the trash on his route towards Seletar Reservoir every Sunday. The 43-year-old bank manager said: "The trash is usually scattered... and looks to be the work of irresponsible individuals, not an organisation.

"The sight is an eyesore, because the forest is a reserve meant for people who want to get away from the city. We don't need reminders of inconsiderate and uncivil behaviour."

As training grounds are out of bounds to civilians, the trash that the public found may be part of a larger litter problem.

A clean-up operation by the Public Hygiene Council on April 23 at a beach near Pasir Ris yielded at least 100 empty food ration packets.

Council chairman Edward D'Silva said: "Unfortunately, military trash found in public spaces is not something new."

Wildlife consultant Subaraj Rajathurai urged the public not to quickly point fingers at the Ministry of Defence as the items could also be left behind by the public. He noted that trekkers may "want a realistic experience, and they buy military rations from the army market".

The empty ration packets on the beach, he added, could have been washed ashore by contractors who did not dispose of the trash properly.

"More investigation is needed," he said.

Colonel Andrew Lim, assistant chief of the general staff (training), said the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) "does not condone littering, whether in camps or in the training area". Servicemen are educated and consistently briefed on the need to keep the training areas clean and to dispose of waste appropriately, he said, noting that administrative areas are cleared of waste before units depart the training area.

Col Lim added: "We do our best to keep them litter-free. However, from time to time, we do receive public feedback of SAF litter in training areas.

"When that happens, the SAF will conduct clean-up operations. At the same time, servicemen caught littering will be disciplined accordingly."

Member of Parliament Lee Bee Wah, who is also chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for the Environment and Water Resources, said there is "no magical answer" to the littering problem.

Ms Lee, a vocal advocate against littering, said: "We just need to go on emphasising to the public the need to be responsible citizens.

"Hopefully, in time, we win (litterbugs) over... We have set the ball rolling and we just have to keep at it."

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Project to use food waste to boost energy production faces setback

NEO CHAI CHIN Today Online 2 May 16;

SINGAPORE — A project to use food waste to generate more electricity has hit a snag, with delays caused and sub-contractors left in the lurch by a former partner of national water agency PUB.

The project, announced last June, was to build Singapore’s first co-digestion plant at PUB’s Ulu Pandan Water Reclamation Plant. The plant was to validate the efficacy of co-digestion technology — adding food waste to used water sludge to generate more electricity.

It was to have been completed last September but is now about 60 per cent done, and slated for completion by year end, said the PUB.

The project’s troubles run deeper, however. Two sub-contractors of PUB’s ex-partner, Anaergia Pte Ltd, say they have not been paid over S$1.2 million and are crying foul at Anaergia Pte Ltd’s change of ownership.

The sub-contractors, local small and medium enterprises Structura Construction and Brilliant Engineering, had contracts with Anaergia Pte Ltd worth about S$1.4 million and S$1 million respectively. They have completed 90 per cent of construction work and 70 per cent of mechanical and electrical work, but have only been paid about S$638,000 in total.

Structura director Andrew Lee said his company is owed about S$960,000, while Brilliant’s project director Philip Sheng said his firm is owed about S$300,000.

This is despite the PUB having already paid S$3.3 million to Anaergia Pte Ltd. No outstanding payments are due to Anaergia Pte Ltd, said a PUB spokesman, stressing that the agency does not have any contract with Structura or Brilliant.

PUB said it paid Anaergia Pte Ltd upon the completion of each project milestone, and was informed by the sub-contractors only at a later date that Anaergia Pte Ltd had not paid them. “As PUB has no contracts with these sub-contractors, PUB then advised them to seek legal advice on the actions they could take to recover payment,” said the spokesperson.

Mr Sheng questioned what the company — which was part of the Canada-headquartered Anaergia group of companies until it was sold to a third party last December — has done with the money paid by PUB.

He said efforts to engage Anaergia Pte Ltd in recent months have hit a dead end, as all its employees have left and have said they had nothing more to do with the company.

“You don’t expect to get stiffed for a project like that,” added Structura director Amy Yeo, referring to PUB’s involvement. Both sub-contractors are seeking legal advice.

PUB said it has been in close contact with Anaergia Inc, which owns the technology to be used for the co-digestion plant. “Anaergia Inc sees the importance of this project, and has therefore resolved to dedicate its Singapore subsidiary, Anaergia Singapore Pte Ltd, to complete the project,” said PUB. “PUB and Anaergia Singapore Pte Ltd will continue to work closely to complete the project.”

Asked why PUB was continuing to work with Anaergia Inc when its former affiliate had failed to pay the sub-contractors, PUB said the team at Anaergia Singapore Pte Ltd it is hoping to work with will not include anyone it previously worked with from Anaergia Pte Ltd.

According to Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra) records, however, both companies shared at least one director.

Former Nominated Member of Parliament and clean energy advocate Edwin Khew was a director at Anaergia Pte Ltd until December, and is a director at Anaergia Singapore Pte Ltd. He told TODAY he was involved only in marketing and project development, and not the project.

In reply to an email from TODAY, Anaergia Singapore Pte Ltd managing director Luca Belli maintained that Brilliant’s and Structura’s contracts are with Anaergia Pte Ltd, which was “sold back in December 2015 to a third party which bears no relation to the Anaergia group of companies”.

Anaergia Pte Ltd is no longer part of the Anaergia group of companies, and is to be renamed as part of its sale conditions, he added. Asked about non-payment for work done by the sub-contractors prior to December, Mr Belli said to contact Anaergia Pte Ltd. TODAY was unable to reach the directors of Anaergia Pte Ltd, as stated in ACRA records, by press time.

Mr Sheng and Ms Yeo also questioned why PUB worked with Anaergia Pte Ltd, a company with only S$100 in paid-up capital. In response, PUB said research projects are to demonstrate the innovativeness and effectiveness of the technology in question. These projects are generally short-term and lower in value, compared with construction and development projects, in which a minimum paid-up capital of up to millions of dollars applies.

“Subjecting these technology providers to requirements similar to construction/development projects may stifle innovation and make it more onerous and difficult for such companies to test their ideas and technologies for acceptance and adoption,” said the PUB spokesperson.

The co-digestion project is co-funded by the TechPioneer scheme, administered by the Economic Development Board on behalf of the Environment and Water Industry Programme Office.

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Malaysia: Poultry farmers travel far in search of water

The Star 3 May 16;

KOTA TINGGI: Kota Tinggi folk are forced to travel as far as 20km to get water to meet their daily needs during the water rationing period in the district.

Poultry farmer Maiswan Musta­jab, 51, said since the rationing exercise began last month, he and his workers had been looking for water to keep his chickens alive and losses at a minimum.

He said since April 19, about 10,000 of his 25,000 chickens had died due to the lack of water and that it was hard to keep them alive as 10,000 gallons of water was needed each day.

“So, we would drive around to look for any possible water sources such as rivers, canals and also wells to keep my chickens alive,” he said, adding that his farm in Kampung Tuan Sheh had been operating since 1993.

Another farmer, Shahnur Nazri, 30, who has about 90,000 chickens, said he even woke up as early as 5.30am to beat others for water at the Teluk Mahkota canal, about 2km from his farm.

“I was only able to retrieve water from the canal for two days (April 19 and 20) as a lot of people went there for the same purpose, which caused the supply to deplete.

“So, now I have to travel about 6km to a pond in Jalan Semangga,” he added.

Shahnur said he also sought help from others to obtain RM4,500 litres of water from SAJ Holdings by paying a RM150 transportation charge per trip.

So far, he has paid four times since the rationing exercise started.

Bus driver Hussin Salleh, 65, said although the water supply taken from the nearby canal and well tasted funny, he could not do much as those were his only options apart from buying mineral water.

“Luckily it is not smelly, so I can still use it for washing and bathing because my family and I use the water supply given by SAJ for cooking and drinking,” he added.

Farmer Turino Mat Mustam, 48, complained that SAJ had not been following its every-two-day sche­dule when supplying water to his area and that taps had been dry for six days since the supply truck came.

“This has made our lives more difficult as I had to drive some 6km just to look for water and even bathed at a nearby canal and pond,” he said.

When contacted, State Health and Environment Exco Datuk Ayub Rahmat said the water taken from rivers, canals and wells should be safe for use if it was not contamina­ted by any chemical or poison.

“Even the state government encourages the people to use water supply from canals and wells and to practise rain harvesting, especially during water rationing or dry spells,” he said, adding that the public could always call the Health Department to analyse the water quality if they were unsure.

The water rationing period began on April 18 and is scheduled to go on until May 15. Until then, water supply is cut off for two days before resuming for a day.

Without rain, Penang paddy farmers risk losing S$12.7m
Today Online 3 May 16;

GEORGETOWN — Kedah may be the country’s rice bowl, but paddy farmers in neighbouring Penang are at risk of losing a whopping RM37 million (S$12.7 million) in revenue for the current planting season if the dry spell continues.

With the current weather conditions, the state government is prioritising human consumption and has cut water for irrigation purposes, which has affected farming operations.

According to Penang state agriculture department director Azahar Ibrahim, it costs about RM5,000 to plant each hectare of paddy field. “The total income losses they will face are calculated by deducting the costs from their estimated revenue,” he told Malay Mail Online.

The revenue for each hectare is estimated to be around RM9,000 to RM10,000, he said.

Currently, a total 8,622ha of paddy fields in Seberang Perai and Balik Pulau in the state, with a total 4,765 farmers, do not have enough water for irrigation.

The state had proposed a solution for the affected farmers in northern Seberang Perai to start the dry seeding method on May 10.

According to Kampung Terus farmer Md Pisol Mahamud, the dry seeding method requires less water, but once the paddy has sprouted, the fields still need to be watered by the rain.

“The fields need to be damp and this method takes a longer time for it to sprout as the seeds will depend on rain, so if there is no rain, some of it may not sprout at all,” he said.

He said even those paddy fields with irrigation now face risks if the dry spell continues because the paddy still needed to be watered after it has sprouted.

“Our yield may decrease by 70 per cent because of the weather,” he said.

Each paddy planting season lasts an average 115 days and it needs to be watered intermittently.

“Even for dry seeding, we need rain, and we can’t water it ourselves because this method means it needs water to be spread evenly throughout the field,” he said.

Malaysia, especially its states of Perlis, Kedah, Penang and Perak, has been enveloped in a heatwave — affecting up to four million people — resulting in the temporary closure of schools, as well as slowing vegetable production, leading to price hikes.

The drought has forced some states, such as Perlis and Johor, to impose water rationing.

Md Pisol’s paddy fields, located near the Kulim River, still have water supply for irrigation. He had already planted the seeds a few weeks ago.

“We were told that we will get supply as long as they can get water from the river, but if the water runs out, there’s nothing anyone can do but hope for rain,” he said.

When asked what he could do during times like this, he said they will have to look for other part-time jobs to supplement their income.

“It’s not like we will get money from the government,” he said. “What do the politicians know about our hardships? So we have to depend on ourselves.” MALAY MAIL ONLINE


Tunnel among plans to protect dam
The Star 3 May 16;

KERIAN: A 15km tunnel linking Sungai Perak to the Bukit Merah Dam and mini reservoirs there are among plans to ensure that water level at the dam stay sustainable, says Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir.

He said the dam, which is one of the oldest in Malaysia, had been affected by peat soil siltation at the bottom of the lake.

To counter this, the Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Ministry has allocated RM10mil to clean up the peat soil.

“It will take time. Everyone must take care of the Bukit Merah Dam because it is a century-old piece of history. It is an important water source for the people of Kerian.

“It provides water to 30,000ha of farm land,” he said after visiting the dam yesterday.

The water channel from Sungai Perak to the Bukit Merah reservoir, he said, would take time.

“We need at least RM300mil to build this 15km tunnel, which will ensure that the water in the dam does not drop to critical level in the future,” he added.

Plans are also being discussed to build mini reservoirs and implement the River Bank Filtration (RBF) well project there, which Dr Zambry said could produce at least 25 million litres of water per day in the future.

RBF is a type of filtration by purifying water taken from pumps adjacent to a riverbank.

On land encroachment in the dam’s water catchment areas, Dr Zambry said the problem was not the only issue causing the water in the dam to drop to critical levels.

“Don’t just pinpoint one problem. We know the crisis has affected many, especially the farmers, but the peat soil siltation and dry weather also contributed to the issue,” he added.

It was reported yesterday that encroachment into more than 200ha of forest reserves was believed to be one of the factors affecting the water catchment area at the Bukit Merah Dam.

The forest reserves act as a buffer zone around the Bukit Merah reservoir.

Bagan Serai MP Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said the land intrusion, especially at Kampung Selamat and the Pondok Tanjung forest reserve, had been happening over the past few years.

The land was cleared illegally for agricultural purposes.

The Bukit Merah Dam supplies water to over 22,000ha of padi field in the Kerian district and is a source of drinking water for over 200,000 people, including the industrial areas in Kamunting and Taiping.

According to Dr Noor Azmi, who is also Bagan Serai Agriculture Development chairman, measures to stop the dam’s water level from dropping, including cloud-seeding and upgrading the Bukit Merah reservoir, would be in vain if the encroachment issue was not addressed.

Yesterday, the level at the dam increased to 6.3m from 6.06m on April 25.


Hot spell causes water levels to drop at six dams in Kedah
The Star 3 May 16;

ALOR SETAR: Water levels at six dams in Kedah have dipped due to the heatwave caused by the El Nino phenomenon, according to the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (Mada).

It said, however, water levels at three of the dams were still sufficient and at safe levels.

Mada deputy general manager (technical) Datuk Hor Tek Lip said the water levels at the Pedu Dam recorded a reading of 55.47%, Ahning Dam (71.69%) and the Muda Dam (30.40%).

"The water levels have dropped but it is still adequate to accommodate the irrigation system for the first 2016 paddy cultivation season despite the El Nino phenomenon," he said when contacted by Bernama.

The water level at the Beris Dam was at critical level, recording a reading of 26.43% compared with 38.99% on April 17.

The water levels of two dams in Langkawi, namely the Padang Saga Dam and Malut Dam, recorded a reading of 39.41% and 50.58%, respectively. - Bernama

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Malaysia: Fire-fighting course to prepare folk to respond fast in an emergency

YEE XIANG YUN The Star 3 May 16;

MUAR: In view of the current dry and hot weather which increases the possibility of forest fires, the Mukim Ayer Hitam community were given a two-day fire fighting course in the event they are the first responders during an emergency.

Mukim Ayer Hitam village head Mohd Afezan Yahya said the forest in the area is prone to fires so the community has to be prepared to be the first responders when it happens.

During the dry season, tropical peat swamp forests are especially vulnerable to destruction by fire because the soil is extremely flammable when dry.

“We do not want a repeat of the destructive fires that claimed a large part of the forest in 2014.

“The training provided gave us the knowledge and taught us techniques to deal with the fires that could happen anytime, anywhere,” he said.

Apart from putting out fires, the course also educated the community on preventive measures and the dangers of open burning or land clearing, which could lead to forest fires.

The course was part of Coca-Cola’s Water For Life programme in partnership with Yayasan Kemanusiaan Muslim Aid Malaysia, Forest Research Institute Malaysia and the Johor Forestry Department.

In conjunction with the International Day of Forests that fell on the day of the fire-fighting course, the participants also planted 500 trees such as the hardy and resistant peat swamp trees ‘kelat paya’ and ‘bintangor’ as part of the programme’s rehabilitation effort.

State Forest Department director Mohd Ridza Awang said that Johor is unique because it has all three types of Malaysian rainforests – dryland, mangrove and peat swamp with the 3,797ha Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve being the only peat swamp forest in the state.

Meanwhile, Coca-Cola Malaysia Public Affairs and Communications director Kadri Taib said that the goal of the project was to create water reserves in the area by rehabilitating degraded parts of the peat swamp forest to a level where it will hold more water.

He hoped that the efforts would eventually lead to the increase of biodiversity, as peat swamp forests are an important part of the eco-system.

“And because of the degradation in this area, water replenishment is an important part of its conservation that Coca-Cola is hoping to achieve,” he added.

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Malaysia: Uphill struggle to preserve country's forest cover -- Minister Wan Junaidi

AZURA ABAS New Straits Times 3 May 16;

PUTRAJAYA: The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry has urged all parties to reconsider any plans to develop permanent reserved forest areas.

Its minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the move was necessary to ensure the country's forest cover remains beyond 50 per cent, especially in Peninsular Malaysia.

"For any permanent forest that has been degazetted or cleared for development, these areas must be replaced immediately in line with Section 12 of the National Forest Act 1964," he said in a statement today.

Wan Junaidi said that if necessary, by using the National Land Council platform, the ministry would call on state authorities to review land development projects that would involve permanent forest reserve.

He said permanent forest reserves in Kuala Lumpur has shrunk from 106.10ha to 68.27ha due to road and infrastructure developments.

There are four permanent forest reserves in KL namely Bukit Lagong with 2.10ha of forest cover, Bukit Nanas (9.37ha), Sungai Puteh (14.51ha) and Sg, Besi (42.29ha).

The permanent forest reserves, he said, were crucial as water catchment areas especially as with country facing the El-Nino phenomena.

In this respect, he said, it was sensible to stop any land development in permanent forest reserve areas immediately to support the nation's biodiversity conservation efforts.

Review forest clearing for projects, state govts told
MAZWIN NIK ANIS The Star 4 May 16;

PUTRAJAYA: The recent reckless clearing of forest reserves in the name of development has prompted the federal authorities to consider asking state governments to review such projects.

The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry, through the National Land Council, will seek the states’ co-operation to protect the country’s green lungs and for those projects to be re-considered for the sake of the environment.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the Federal Government did not encourage permanent forest reserves to be de-gazetted for development although the states have the authority to do so under Section 11 of the National Forestry Act 1984.

“While they can allow these lands to be developed, the states must be responsible and committed to gazetting new areas as permanent forest reserves, just as fast as they approve the projects,” he said yesterday.

Dr Wan Junaidi said the next council meeting would discuss the suggestion that his ministry enforce a regulation whereby, before an existing area can be cleared for development, a replacement area must already be in place.

He said Malaysia was committed to several international treaties and agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agree-ment to maintain a forest area of no less than 50% of the country’s size, and reminded the states to play their part in maintaining green areas.

The minister pointed out that permanent forest areas in Kuala Lumpur had depleted from 106.10ha when these areas were gazetted to only 68.27ha today.

There are four permanent forest reserve areas in Kuala Lumpur – Bukit Lagong (2.1ha), Bukit Nanas (9.37ha), Sungai Puteh (14.51ha) and Sungai Besi (42.29ha).

Bukit Lagong’s area remains unchanged since it was gazetted in 1962, but the forest area in Bukit Nanas, which was gazetted in 1906 with an area of 17ha, has since been reduced in size to 9.37ha due to road and infrastructure projects.

The Sungai Puteh permanent forest area, gazetted in 1933 with an area of 40ha, is now left with 14.51ha while the Sungai Besi permanent forest area has seen a loss of 4.71ha since it was gazetted in 1932.

Last week, several groups protested against the de-gazetting of forests to make way for the Sungai Besi-Ulu Klang Expressway (SUKE) project and Damansara-Shah Alam Highway (DASH).

The forests that will be affected are the Bukit Cherakah and Sungai Buloh reserves for DASH ,while the Sungai Puteh reserve may be de-gazetted for SUKE.

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Malaysia: Environmental pollution a big problem for Terengganu's islands

ADRIAN DAVID New Straits Times 3 May 16;

PULAU REDANG: Environmental pollution poses a big hazard to the idyllic islands of Terengganu, threatening the lucrative tourism industry.

Menteri Besar Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman said the authorities would not hesitate to act against errant resort operators or tourists who dispose of garbage or sewage into the pristine waters of the South China Sea.

“There are also reports of open burning being conducted by irresponsible people who do not realise the impact on the environment, especially on the smaller islands.

“The current hot and dry spell can trigger bush or forest fires, too.

“We need to constantly educate them to be responsible and have a caring attitude, especially with Visit Terengganu 2017 approaching,” he said after a tour of the islands.

Among the islands most affected are Pulau Redang, Pulau Lang Tengah, Pulau Kapas, Pulau Perhentian Besar and Pulau Perhentian Kecil.

Razif also expressed concern over oil spills around Pulau Redang, where he had directed the Kuala Terengganu City Council to act.

He reminded chalet and resort operators to refrain from discharging sewage into the sea as it would pollute the beaches and threaten marine life, especially corals.

“Not to mention the stench that will drive away tourists.

Hygiene can also be affected,” he said, urging the authorities to constantly carry out spot checks.

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Best of our wild blogs: 2 May 16

Coral Spawning in Singapore: A Natural Wonder
Hantu Blog

Annual departure of "future" coral babies (27042016 & 28042016)
Psychedelic Nature

Mass coral spawning in Singapore 2016
wild shores of singapore

Blue-winged Pitta (Pitta moluccensis) @ Tanjong Katong
Monday Morgue

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Food Bank collects 60 tonnes of unused food a month

Boey Lye Weng, The New Paper AsiaOne 2 May 16;

The Food Bank Singapore was founded in 2012 by siblings Nichol and Nicholas Ng. It operates as a bank for companies or individuals to donate their unused or unwanted food.

The food is then assessed for quality and redistributed to the needy through 160 member charity organisations.

Beneficiaries include family service centres, voluntary welfare organisations, various homes, soup kitchens and needy individuals.

The siblings also run a family business, FoodXervices, which distributes more than 4,000 products to food and beverage and hospitality companies.

It was through this business that they learned how much food was wasted. Ms Ng, 37, tells The New Paper on Sunday that The Food Bank Singapore collects an average of 60 tonnes of food per month for redistribution.

The bank does not redistribute expired products or any products past its "use-by" date.

Donors have the option of dropping off excess food with at least four weeks of shelf life at the following locations:

The Food Bank Singapore's warehouse at Tanjong Pagar Distripark

Bank boxes located at City Square Mall, Sentosa Cove, VivoCity, National University of Singapore, The Grandstand, Parkway Parade and Liang Court.

For more information, visit www.foodbank.sg.


Food wastage on the rise, but F&B companies not keen to donate
Boey Lye Weng, The New Paper AsiaOne 2 May 16;

Singapore generates 788,600 tonnes of food waste.

This means each Singaporean contributes about 146kg of food waste yearly, based on figures released by the National Environment Agency in 2014.

The amount has increased by 48 per cent in the past decade.

Households, supermarkets, catering and bakery businesses all contribute to this situation.

Food waste is generated daily through our food cycle: production, distribution, retail and consumption.

"Wastage occurs due to various reasons such as food spoilage due to improper storage or handling, edible food discarded due to blemished appearances, and when individuals overestimate their appetites," says Mr Eugene Tay, executive director of Zero Waste SG.

He says because Singapore is relatively more affluent and there are more food choices available, people end up buying more than they can consume.

Despite the wastage, food and beverage companies are not so keen to donate excess and unsold food.

This could be because of food poisoning and legal liability issues, says lawyer Luke Lee, 63.

"The party providing the food item may be liable in court. Though the chances of them being liable for damages is not high, you can't discount that possibility," he says.


Unused food sold for a token sum by charity initiative
Boey Lye Weng, The New Paper AsiaOne 2 May 16;

If everything at the grocery store is just $1, you can bet customers will raid the pantry.

And that happened on April 25 at The Food Pantry. But the store, smaller than a three-room flat, is a grocery business with a difference.

The Food Pantry is a project of Food Bank Singapore, a charity initiative started by two siblings who wanted to tackle the problem of food waste here.

The bank takes donations of unused food from food and beverage companies and then distributes the items to the needy.

Whatever is leftover is not left to waste. Instead it ends up at the Pantry and each item is sold for $1.

The money is then used to cover overheads.

Last Monday, the pantry opened for the first time and people streamed in immediately.

By noon, 80 per cent of the goods were gone - just three hours after the store's opening.

Ms Nichol Ng of The Food Bank Singapore says she was surprised by the turnout.

"We didn't expect The Food Pantry to pique so many people's interest. We are definitely happy that many are receptive to buying these foods despite their shorter shelf life," says Ms Ng, whose designation is chief food officer.

And that is the catch with items at the Pantry - they generally have a shelf life of around two months.

PRIORITY

Ms Ng says: "Redistributing the food for free to the underprivileged remains our main priority.

"When certain items are rejected by the beneficiaries or if the shelf life is short, then will we consider stocking them at The Food Pantry to give it a last shot at having a chance to be consumed instead of instant disposal."

Ms Ng hopes to change attitudes with The Food Pantry.

She says consumers tend to pick up the best-looking items with the longest shelf life.

"If you intend to use the stuff tomorrow, you don't need a year-long shelf life. Help to use up the products with shorter shelf life first before it ends up in the dumpsters," she says.

Residents in the area had heard of the plan to sell short shelf-life items for $1 and were eagerly waiting for its opening.

The customers were mainly middle-aged and elderly citizens, with a handful of people in their late 20s.

The Food Pantry is hoping to include perishable items next, if people are comfortable paying for items with short shelf life and some defects.

Meat will only be introduced if there is proper storage and refrigeration to ensure that the quality is not compromised.

What expiration dates really mean

Would a can of beans go bad immediately after hitting the use-by date?

Not necessarily, says Dr Leong Lai Peng.

The senior lecturer at National University of Singapore's Food Science & Technology Programme says some food still tastes good after expiry dates.

She says: "It is certainly not a magical date when the food will suddenly turn bad the day after."

So what does it mean when the packaging says "best if used by"?

Dr Leong explains some of the more common terms:

What the terms mean

Sell by and manufacture date

Meant for retailers and manufacturers for stock control.

Pack date

For manufacturers to know when the item was packed.

Best if used by

Quality is peak before this date. Quality includes taste, texture and aroma.

Guaranteed fresh

A guarantee that the product tastes fresh by this date.

Use by

You are encouraged to use this product by this date for maximum enjoyment and quality.

Food safety tips

Whether before or after the expiry date, look out for clues that the food has gone bad. The clues include inflated packaging caused by gases produced by bacteria and a bad odour.
Store food at the recommended conditions. For example, the storage temperature before and after opening. If the advice is to consume foods within a stipulated number of days after opening, you should also observe that.
Handle with care. This includes maintaining the cold chain for cold foods. For food that is fragile, be gentle.
Don't dent cans as damaging the packaging is similar to opening them. Once opened, the packaging does not protect the food.
Do not thaw and refreeze food. Similarly, don't leave chilled foods out at room temperature for too long. Take out what you need and put the rest back in the fridge.
For food to be consumed over a period of time, use a clean and dry serving spoon to scoop out a portion. Do not eat directly from the packaging and then put it back in the fridge.

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APP should focus on preventing peatland fires, pay for damage

CHRIS CHENG CHIN HSIEN, ADVISOR TO PM.HAZE (PEOPLE'S MOVEMENT TO STOP HAZE)
Today Online 2 May 16;

I thank Mr Jose Raymond for his letter “APP committed to stopping haze and zero deforestation” (April 27), which was a response to my earlier letter “Tackling new mills a key way to stop the haze at source” (April 23).

In his letter, Mr Raymond acknowledged the link between land clearance and the production of forest commodities, and cited Asia Pulp and Paper’s (APP) Forest Conservation Policy to defend the company’s new OKI mill in South Sumatra. But he did not address any of our concerns in detail. First, Mr Raymond suggested that part of the new mill’s supply will come from increased yields in existing plantations. However, he did not provide evidence that yields can improve sufficiently to catch up with APP’s 50 per cent increase in wood demand with the new OKI mill.

Second, Mr Raymond said APP is conducting research to identify new plant species that can thrive in wet peatland conditions. But the OKI mill is scheduled to start operations this year, and how much any new species will actually contribute to APP’s supply remains unclear.

Third, Mr Raymond said APP is supporting communities to reduce poverty and to provide them with alternative livelihoods. Yet, APP continues to blame communities for setting fires, and social conflict remains a major issue that APP has yet to properly address.

Fourth, Mr Raymond suggested that part of the woodchip supply may come from plantations outside Indonesia without specifying these potential suppliers.

In summary, APP’s response largely repeats the old and vague messages that have been refuted by the joint report released on April 20 by 12 international and Indonesian non-governmental organisations (NGOs), “Will Asia Pulp & Paper default on its zero deforestation commitment?”.

The transboundary haze suffered by the people of Singapore last year was largely due to peatland fires on APP’s concessions. Although there is no official cost estimate of the damage caused by these fires, it is definitely a very significant figure.

The joint NGO report conservatively estimated that fires on APP’s concessions in South Sumatra alone generated 197 million tonnes of emissions in 2015. Estimating the price of carbon at US$20 (S$27) per tonne CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent), APP would need to pay US$4 billion.

Why is APP not focusing on fire prevention and paying for the damage first before further expanding production? Even without fire, carbon-rich peatland releases carbon dioxide when it is drained for acacia (paper) plantations. For each five-year cycle of acacia plantation on peatland, the emission is roughly the same as clearing a forest with an area five times that of the plantation. This also applies to other pulp and paper companies that grow acacia on peatland, such as APRIL Group.

The Indonesian peatland restoration agency has encouraged pulp and paper companies to switch to species suitable for wet peatlands. Although this may reduce the yield of pulpwood in the short term, it is a mandatory step to create a long-term solution to haze and climate change.


APP working with stakeholders as part of its forest conservation policy
JOSE RAYMOND, VICE PRESIDENT, CORPORATE AFFAIRS (SINGAPORE), ASIA PULP & PAPER
Today Online 5 May 16;

We thank Mr Chris Cheng for his letter “APP should focus on preventing peatland fires, pay for damage” (May 2) and will address the specific concerns he raised.

He cited a lack of evidence showing that yield from our existing plantations and new species being developed will meet the full demand of the new OKI mill in South Sumatra.

As I had set out in an earlier reply, “APP committed to stopping haze and zero deforestation” (April 27), this point is immaterial.

We have pledged firmly, as part of our forest conservation policy, to never use natural forest fibre in our mills. The mill will run on available supply of plantation fibre; if that supply is inadequate, we will adjust production accordingly. Since we made our zero-deforestation commitment, in February 2013, to stop using natural forest fibre in our production, we have not deviated from it.

Mr Cheng asked that we specify our potential woodchip sources in the event of any shortfall in supplies from our plantations. This is business-sensitive information that would give our competitors a commercial advantage if disclosed publicly. As far as we are aware, even sustainability reporting guidelines do not request companies to mandatorily report potential suppliers.

On the issue of peatlands, we are following the guidance set by the Indonesian government, and we are supporting the Peatland Restoration Agency to establish ecosystem restoration models.

With regard to communities, it is well established that slash-and-burn practices used by unauthorised parties and some smallholders are a cause of fires. Some smallholders resort to this mostly owing to a lack of choice: They do not have access to more sophisticated methods of land clearance.

In attempting to tackle one of the main causes of forest fires, we will continue working with communities to educate and support them in alternative methods of land clearance and to find them alternative sources of living through our agro-forestry programmes.

Likewise, we are working to establish an inclusive framework to help resolve social conflicts between stakeholders in the landscape — a key pillar of our forest conservation policy.

Fire prevention, in the context of landscape-level forest conservation, remains a priority. So far, we have invested US$20 million (S$27 million) in fire prevention and suppression efforts following last year’s haze episode. Tackling fires, however, must be part of a wider strategy to protect the environment and empower communities, as the underlying causes of fires and deforestation are similar: Peatland degradation, slash-and-burn agriculture, illegal encroachment and land conflict.

A long-term solution to fires can be found only by addressing these issues, which is what we have been doing with our partners for the last three years as part of our forest conservation policy.

I invite Mr Cheng to work with us in finding long-term solutions to the challenges discussed.

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Malaysia: Remapping of water resources in Johor opens up opportunities for alternatives

BERNAMA New Straits Times 2 May 16;

BATU PAHAT: A remapping of the types of water resources available in Johor needs to be done before any exploration of underground water source is conducted in the state government’s efforts to find long term alternative water resources in the state.

The move is in line with the state government’s efforts to draft a water supply development plan for 50 years, which is seen to solve the water problems faced due to the extreme and erratic global weather conditions lately.

Water and Environmental Engineering Department lecturer at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Dr Mohamad Faizal Tajul Baharuddin said the remapping was required to get accurate data on potential sources for water.

“The last mapping by the Johor Department of Mineral and Geoscience was carried out over 15 years ago, and it was only the data for a particular area and not a comprehensive report.

“Therefore, it is appropriate to re-do the mapping to identify areas in the state where there is potential for underground water,” he told Bernama in an interview here recently.

Mohamad Faizal, who has eight years of experience in the exploration of underground water, had previously accompanied his Head of Department Dr Mohd Adib Mohammad Razi along with several other lecturers in the faculty to help several areas in Kelantan to tap underground water on a small scale, for the use of local residents.

“The remapping of water resources throughout Johor is estimated to take around six months, and could cost up to RM500,000,” he said.

According to him, the potential of underground water as a source was huge, as there was a very large quantity of clean water available, now expected to be in excess of what was once mentioned in studies by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

In 1982, JICA reported that Malaysia was estimated to have about 5,000 billion cubic metres of underground water reserves, which remained untapped.

“However, our country up to now has used only three percent of the total, which is mostly for small and medium industries, and agriculture activities like aquaculture,” said Mohamad Faizal.

Currently, only Kelantan uses groundwater resources as its main water source covering more than 70 per cent of the state, he said.

Mohamad Faizal said the groundwater management model run by Syarikat Air Kelantan Sdn Bhd (AKSB) should be reviewed and made into a ‘case study’, in addition to making improvements in terms of using more modern technologies, as well as the involvement of experts from within the country and abroad.

“For example, a well field in Kampung Putih, Kelantan, which has about 10 to 18 tube wells, is capable of delivering approximately 36,000 cubic metres of water per day to 3,000 to 5,000 people,” said the principal investigator at the Research Centre for Soft Soil at the university.

He said based on Johor’s terrain, groundwater resources were available through two of four types of aquifers that store water, namely alluvium, limestone, meta-sediment, and granite.

“In Johor, the groundwater resources are often found in soil near sandy beaches (alluvium) or meta-sediments. However, what’s important is to ensure the quality and quantity of underground water is good, exploration should be done deep into the ground, up to about 200 or 300 metres,” he said.

He added that in Kelantan, the exploration of underground water was done up to about 150 to 170 metres deep.

Mohamad Faizal, however, acknowledged the cost of dredging was expensive, and that Malaysia did not yet possess the technology required to do it.
Therefore, he said the development of local technology was very welcome.

Meanwhile Mohd Adib said UTHM had the expertise in terms of detecting potential underground water, and in this case, cooperation with foreign researchers could be beneficial not only to the state of Johor, but even the country.

Thus, both the lecturers concurred that the negative perception by certain parties towards underground water or its exploration as orthodox methods should be discarded, as it is still a viable and practicle solution. -- Bernama

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Malaysia: Ground zero of the water crisis

Ray Yeh Channel NewsAsia 2 May 16;

BUKIT MERAH, Perak: Sporadic light rain brought on by cloud seeding might have provided folks in peninsular Malaysia reprieve from the unbearable heat, but it has done little to alleviate the country's water crisis.

At the heart of the crisis are Malaysia’s 41 dams and reservoirs, some of which are fast drying up, especially in the northern states of Perak, Penang, Kedah and Perlis.

While El Nino is to blame for wreaking havoc on weather patterns and causing the drought, some environmentalists claim that excessive deforestation and mismanagement of the dams are equally responsible for the severe water shortage the Southeast Asian country is currently facing.

PERAK'S "RICE BOWL"

The district of Kerian in the northern part of Perak is known as the “rice bowl” of the state, with a long history of paddy farming. A total of 23,705 hectares of land in this area are used for rice plantation.

However, Kerian has lately been making news in Malaysia - not for the district’s unique agricultural heritage, but for the trouble farmers in this rice bowl state find themselves in, as extreme temperatures and dry lands have delayed the start of the planting season.

MALAYSIA’S OLDEST DAM

The area’s main water source for agricultural and domestic use is Bukit Merah Dam, also known as Bukit Merah Lake. It was built more than a century ago in 1906, making it Malaysia’s oldest dam.

Here, normal storage level for full water supply is 8.7m, but water level in the dam has been hovering at around 6m in recent weeks, with a storage balance of below 20 per cent, way below the "danger" level of 40 per cent.

As a result, the Perak state government had decided to stop supplying water to the rice fields to focus on domestic users. They also estimate that if the dry spell continues, the lake will completely dry up in about a month.

PLIGHT OF THE RICE FARMERS

Hit hard by the drought, large expanses of Kerian’s paddy fields have been lying unattended in the scorching heat for more than three months. The once lush landscape has been reduced to patches of brown rice straws and mud cracks.

Close to 1,800 farmers have missed the new planting season that was slated to begin in January. It is uncertain how much longer they have to wait, despite the decision last week by the Drainage and Irrigation Department to release water from the dam in phases to help irrigate the dry paddy fields.

Even with sufficient water, “paddy seeds can’t be planted yet because they will die due to the extreme temperature”, said Mr Abu Bakar, a supervisor at one of the rice fields.

“Temperature plays an important role in farming. I estimate I’ll have to wait for another two weeks (before planting).”

The months-long delay and its domino effects will result in millions lost in combined income.

WATER RATIONING SOON?

Water rationing will be imposed in Kerian by the state if the Bukit Merah Dam level hits the critical 5.18m mark, affecting up to a quarter of a million residents in the area.

However, Malaysia’s National Water Services Commission (SPAN) wants it to be done immediately. “Why wait and risk the livelihood and welfare of the people? The dam may dry up and we cannot predict when this drought will end,” said SPAN commissioner Dr N Marimuthu recently after visiting the Bukit Merah lake.

“Water rationing will make the people aware that there is a water crisis, and they should avoid wastage.”

UNCERTAINTY FOR TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

Bukit Merah Laketown Resort is a popular tourist attraction built right next to the dam, consisting of hotels and theme parks. Water activities came to a halt since the lake near the resort dried up.

Columns and foundation of the main jetty are left exposed, as well as stilts on which water chalets stand.

Not far from the resort, nestled in the lake, is the Orang Utan Island, which has become inaccessible to visitors due to the shallow water.

“Actually every year we have this situation, but not this bad,” said Ms Noor Haslina, a guest service officer.

“In 15 years, I think this is the worst. Last year the boats still can go to the island, but now you cannot go using normal boat, you need to kayak.”

For the past three weeks, staff has been rowing canoes to ferry food and medicine for the 24 orangutans living on the island.

Formerly known as Pulau Panjang, the 14-hectare site also houses research and education facilities on the endangered primate.

“We receive lots of phone calls asking us when we are going to open the island, but we cannot tell them,” said Ms Haslina. “We don’t know, it depends on the rain, on nature.”

MISMANAGEMENT OF DAM?

The current El Nino episode, which began last year, has been one of the strongest ever, smothering vast regions in a months-long heat wave. Economic losses in Southeast Asia could top US$10 billion, according to research firm Global Insight.

However, Mr Afandi Ahmad, secretary of Malaysia’s Environmental Activists Association (Kuasa), said that the water shortage can also be attributed to other man-made factors.

“We have been telling them you will face this problem if you carry on deforestation upstream,” said the 57-year-old, referring to the almost empty Bukit Merah Lake.

“A lot of reserved land around the lake, which is supposed to absorb more water when it rains, is now used to plant oil palm, so the land won’t absorb water anymore, all the rain will just push off.

“And Bukit Merah itself is not what it was supposed to be. When it is rainy season the water level should be brought up so that we can keep more water. But when they started building the resort, no matter how much it rains, they cannot raise the water level, because they have to protect the buildings in the resort,” Mr Afandi said.

“So when it rains, the water would flow away and they will suffer floods. When it is dry season, the water which is meant for paddy plantation is used to help the resort maintain the water for their activities. So the priority of the dam is now the resort. They have misused the purpose of the dam.”

UPGRADING PLANNED

The state government revealed in late April they have plans to upgrade the 110-year-old dam to increase capacity of the reservoir.

“With the upgrading ... the quantity of water the dam can hold will increase from 79 million m³ to 109 million m³, a 38 per cent increase in water catchment,” said Perak’s State Infrastructure, Public Utilities, Water and Energy Committee Chairman Zainol Fadzi Paharudin.

But for now, most ordinary folks can only wait and pray - for the rain to come and the drought to finally end.


It’s bleak for Bukit Merah Dam
The Star 2 May 16;

BAGAN SERAI: Encroachment into the more than 200ha of forest reserves that is a buffer zone around the Bukit Merah reservoir is believed to be one of the factors affecting the water catchment area at the Bukit Merah Dam.

Bagan Serai MP Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said the intrusion, especially at Kampung Selamat and Pondok Tanjung forest reserve, had been happening for the past few years and was primarily used for agricultural purposes.

“This buffer zone is to store water for the dry season, and when the Bukit Merah Dam level recedes, water from here will flow into the reservoir.

“The encroachment has affected the ecosystem. Sedimentation has made the lake shallow, and heavy rain leads to flooding, because the trees which were meant to act as the buffer have been cut,” he told reporters after visiting the encroached areas with Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM).

The Bukit Merah Dam supplies water to over 22,000ha of padi fields in the Kerian district, and is the source of drinking water for over 200,000 people, including the industrial needs in Kamun­ting, Taiping.

According to Noor Azmi, who is also Bagan Serai Agriculture Development chairman, measures of cloud seeding and upgrading the Bukit Merah reservoir would be in vain, if the encroachment issue was not addressed.

“I have requested the Govern­ment to reserve this site for environmental remediation and to keep it as a watershed,” he said.

SAM researcher Meor Razak Meor Rahman said several areas in Pondok Tanjung and Kampung Selamat previously used to supply water to the reservoir here, had been encroached.

He claimed that his organisation found about 1,400ha of the Pondok Tanjung forest reserve degazetted for breeding Boer goats. – Bernama

Pahang MB orders probe into claims logging is cause for Sungai Pahang’s low water level
The Star 1 May 16;

KUANTAN: Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob (pic) has ordered relevant government departments and agencies to immediately investigate allegations that the main cause for Sungai Pahang becoming shallow and dry was due to excessive logging in Hulu Tembeling.

Adnan said the probe was to determine whether the drop in the water level was caused by logging or attributed to other factors such as extreme hot weather due to the El Nino phenomenon currently sweeping the country.

"We cannot say that only Sungai Pahang is drying up because other rivers are also going dry.

"Indeed (no doubt) one of the reasons for Sungai Pahang going dry is due to the clearing of forest for agriculture, logging and as we know there is the construction of the Tekai and Jelai hydro dams going on in the region ... Nevertheless, we will ask the technical department to give a full and accurate report," he said.

Adnan was speaking to reporters after participating in a charity golf event between the Mentri Besar's team and the alumni of Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Ahmad Shah at the Mahkota Golf and Country Club, here Sunday.

Hewas commenting on a recent report about Sungai Pahang's shallow and dry state being attributed to rampant logging activities.

He also said that the water supply problems in some districts in the state such as Temerloh, Lipis, Bera and Raub was due to old pipes besides the water intake point being dry.

In another development, Adnan said the state government through Yayasan Pahang will provide "one off" assistance to 150 students from the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), Gombak campus.

Besides students from Pahang, the aid will also be given to students from other states as a sign of concern from the state government and out of respect to Sultan Ahmad Shah as IIUM's constitutional head and its rector Prof Datuk Seri Dr Zaleha Kamaruddin, who also hails from Pahang.

The charity golf tournament was held to raise funds to help national golfer Shaaban Hussin, 36, who was involved in a road accident while on the way from his house in Kota Damansara to Shah Alam, last Thursday.

Adnan said RM150,000 had been collected from the tournament and that the amount was expected to increase to RM200,000 with contributions from state companies and individuals, and he himself would hand over the donation to Shaaban next week. – Bernama


Pahang MB orders probe into claims that logging affected Sg Pahang water level
NOR AIN MOHAMED RADHI New Straits Times 1 May 16;

KUANTAN: Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob has ordered technical agencies to immediately investigate reports that the critical drop in the Sungai Pahang water level was caused by excessive logging and land clearing, particularly in Hulu Tembeling.

“I have read the report in the newspapers, which to me was fair.

"I have called for an immediate investigation by the technical agencies over the matter,” he said after a charity golf event between the Menteri Besar team and the alumni of Sekolah Menengah Sains Sultan Ahmad Shah here today.

He said it was not fair to say that only Sungai Pahang is experiencing a critical drop in water level when the country is experiencing extreme hot weather due to El-Nino.

“I am not living in denial, but that is the fact. But at the same time I also did not deny the fact that land clearing for oil palm cultivation and logging had taken place there alongside hydroelectric project in Jelai and Tekal.

“We must be fair too by allowing an investigation to take place before any conclusion could be made,” he said. Recently, it was reported Sungai

Pahang’s shallow state is being attributed to a number of factors including logging, clearing of land for oil palm cultivation and soil erosion.

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