SEA TRAFFIC IN SINGAPORE WATERS

Mr Hwang Soo Jin asked the Minister for Communications (a) whether the existing sealanes leading in and out of the Port of Singapore are adequate to cope with the increasing volume of sea traffic: (b) whether there are sufficient experienced pilots to ensure the safe movements of vessels in Singapore waters: and (c) whether all individual pilots and tugs are now equipped with portable transceivers.

The Minister for Communications (Mr Yong Nyuk Lin): Mr Speaker, Sir, the narrowest point in the Straits of Singapore is situated near the approaches to the port and an average of 100 ships pass daily through this 2�-mile wide channel between Pulau Sekijang Bendera on the Singapore side, and Batu Berhanti Lighthouse on the Indonesian side of the Straits based on a survey in February 1967. About half of these ships call at Singapore, whilst the other half are in transit from the Indian Ocean to the South China Sea and vice versa.

It is considered that the sealanes in the approaches to the port are adequate to cope with the increasing volume of traffic, but it has been felt for some time that a system of traffic separation scheme would be desirable.

The Singapore Government, therefore, submitted tentative proposals to the inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation, a United Nations agency, in September 1967, and Japan also forwarded similar proposals about the same time. Both proposals are now under study by I.M.C.O.

The Japanese Government has recently undertaken a preliminary hydrographic survey of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore in co-operation with the Governments of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, as a step prior to the establishment of such a traffic separation scheme.

I am pleased to assure the Member for Jalan Kayu that the Port of Singapore Authority has sufficient experienced pilots to ensure the safe movement of vessels in Singapore waters, and their number is steadily increasing as junior local pilots recruited under the Authority's Pilotage Training Scheme develop and gain experience. There are at present 40 qualified harbour pilots in the Port Master's Department and 37 local trainee pilots in the process of being trained for the posts of harbour pilot.

All individual pilots and tugs are equipped with portable transceivers, and, in addition, tugs are equipped with very high frequency transceivers capable of operating in the International Ship-to-Ship frequencies. Privately-owned tugs which operate with P.S.A. pilots are also similarly equipped.