MFA Press Release: Transcript of Second Minister for Foreign Affairs Grace Fu’s reply to the Parliamentary Question and Supplementary Questions, 19 January 2015

TRANSCRIPT OF SECOND MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS GRACE FU’S REPLY TO THE PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION, 19 JANUARY 2015

QUESTION:

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he can provide an update on the results of the Environmental Impact Assessment conducted by Malaysia in respect of the land reclamation project in the Straits of Johor.

REPLY:

Mdm Speaker,

               I believe the Honourable Member is referring to the Forest City reclamation project by Country Garden Pacificview Sendirian Berhad and the R&F Princess Cove reclamation project by R&F Development Sendirian Berhad in the Straits of Johor.  Singapore remains committed to working with Malaysia to address our concerns over Malaysia’s reclamation projects in the Straits of Johor that could have potential transboundary impact on Singapore.  As you are aware, we had on several occasions conveyed to Malaysia our concerns and requests for more information, including the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports, on these reclamation projects.  Singapore also recently held consultations with Malaysia on this matter at the 28^th meeting of the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment and 27^th Malaysia-Singapore Annual Exchange of Visits held in Malaysia from 24 to 25 November 2014.

2             Malaysia had responded with some general information on the reclamation projects and promised to share all other information, including the EIA reports, once its internal processes are completed.  At the consultations, we exchanged views with Malaysia and sought further clarifications on these works.  We also reiterated to Malaysia that both countries are obliged under general international law and in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to undertake and share EIA reports on all works that could have transboundary impact, prior to the commencement of such works.  Singapore was informed that Malaysia’s internal processes regarding the EIAs have yet to be completed.  We were also informed that Malaysia had ordered these reclamation works in Johor to be suspended.  Malaysian Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Dato’ Sri Dr James Dawos Mamit subsequently said it would take at least three more months for the finalised EIA reports to be ready.  His comments were reported in the TODAY newspaper on 29 November 2014. 

3             More recently, it was reported in the media that the reclamation projects have been approved by the Malaysian Department of Environment.  However, Singapore has yet to receive the Malaysian government’s official response on this issue, including the finalised EIA reports.  We are seeking clarification from Malaysia and have reiterated our requests for Malaysia to provide the finalised EIA reports and all relevant information expeditiously, prior to the commencement of such works.

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TRANSCRIPT OF SECOND MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS GRACE FU’S REPLIES TO SUPPLEMENTARY QUESTIONS, 19 JANUARY 2015

SPEAKER: Mr Ang Wei Neng

MR ANG WEI NENG (JURONG): Thank you Minister for the reply, but apparently the media from both sides of the causeway has reported that Princess Cove’s developer, Guangzhou R&F Properties had engaged a Malaysian based environmental and hydraulic consultant Dr. Nik & Associates to carry out a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and it was reported that the EIA had concluded that the reclamation will not be contributing too much negative impact to its environment.  I am not so sure if Minister has clarified these reports with her counterpart.  In addition, it was also reported in the press that the outermost point of the reclaimed land of the Princess Cove project will only be 290m away from the Singapore border.  290m is a relatively short distance, less than six laps of an Olympic-sized swimming pool.  So many average swimmers could easily swim that distance.  Hence, does such a close proximity between the Johor reclaimed land and Singapore’s borders pose a border security threat to Singapore?  Thank you.

SECOND MINISTER: Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the Member for the supplementary question, but I believe that I have answered the question in my reply, that we have not received the report and we are working with our Malaysian counterparts to obtain the report as soon as we can.  We will study the report seriously.     

SPEAKER: Dr Lim Wee Kiak   

DR LIM WEE KIAK (NEE SOON): Thank you Mdm Speaker.  I would like to ask the Minister whether Singapore’s side will be doing our own independent Environmental Impact Study to look at the whole project.  Thanks.    

SECOND MINISTER: Yes, we will definitely be studying very carefully, but there is information that is required from the Malaysians.  So we are working with our counterparts to get the necessary information before we can do a thorough study.    

SPEAKER: Mr Alex Yam     

MR ALEX YAM (Chua Chu Kang): Mdm Speaker, as the Member of Parliament for Yew Tee division, we have quite a lot of biodiversity sitting within our division and this project would have a major impact on some of that.  Therefore, my question to the Second Minister would be, if this project was to go ahead unilaterally, is there anything that the Singapore Government can do to stop this project from proceeding without the conclusion of the EIA. 

SECOND MINISTER: As I have mentioned in my reply, we will always work very closely with our Malaysian counterparts.  There is prescribed international law, including UNCLOS, that basically describes what countries should do when their actions have a transboundary effect on another.  So this will always be our modus operandi - that we will like to work according to the international legal framework.  But I think that it is still premature to suggest what our counterpart will do one way or the other.  I think at this point in time, we will just like to reiterate that we prefer to work closely with them, getting the report from them, getting the information from them, and sharing our studies with them as well.  As I mentioned earlier, there have been several meetings and I think our counterpart has been forthcoming.  They have agreed to give us the report, so let us just go according to the plan.  Thank you. 

SPEAKER: Mr Low Thia Khiang 

MR LOW THIA KHIANG (Aljunied): I have a question Mdm.  I would like to ask the Minister, what is the international accepted protocol for such reclamation projects and whether there is any agreement between Singapore and Malaysia with regard to such reclamation land.  I recall that Malaysia made a hell of a lot of noise when we did our reclamation, so what was the agreement or understanding that we have forged from them?  

SECOND MINISTER: Mdm Speaker, thank you very much for the supplementary question.  There is agreed protocol and both countries are committed to working according to this protocol.  The Malaysians have agreed to let us have the EIA report, so we are waiting for their report.  

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