PREVENTION OF POLLUTION OF THE SEA BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

2.38 p.m.

The Minister for Communications (Mr Yong Nyuk Lin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

As our port is a fairly busy one, it is vital that we adopt measures to prevent the pollution of our harbour, territorial waters and shore lines by ships and shore establishments. Unless we do something now, the increasing problem of oil pollution may become unmanageable. The main sources of oil pollution are tank cleaning and bilge pumping. Land establishments, including shipyards, also contribute to the contamination by indiscriminate disposal of waste into rivers or seas.

A study of the problem has revealed that the existing laws are inadequate and that it would be to Singapore's interest and advantage to accept the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution of the Sea by Oil, 1954. The purpose of this Bill, therefore, is to enable effect to be given to the Convention and to make provision to prevent the pollution of Singapore waters by oil and other substances. This Convention prohibits the discharge of oil from ships and tankers except under certain well-defined conditions. The Convention requires ships to maintain Oil Record Books which may be inspected by a contracting government when the ship is in its port. Governments are to promote the provision of oil reception facilities for ships, oil terminals and shipyards. All these are provided for in the Bill.

I shall now summarise briefly the main provisions of the Bill. It shall be an offence for a Singapore ship to discharge oil into the sea outside our territorial limits, and for any ship to discharge oil into Singapore waters. If oil is discharged from a place on land, the occupier of that place shall be guilty of an offence, and, similarly, if oil is discharged from any apparatus used for transferring oil from or to a ship, the person in charge of the apparatus shall be guilty of an offence.

Under clause 7 of the Bill, any person who throws refuse, garbage or trade effluent into Singapore waters shall be guilty of an offence. Very stiff penalties are being provided in the Bill, e.g., a person contravening clause 7 will be "liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding ten thousand dollars or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or to both such fine and imprisonment". Members of this House will note that under clause 5 special defences are provided, i.e., when a person is charged, it shall be a defence to prove that the oil was discharged for the purpose of securing the safety of the ship, cargo or life or that the escape of oil was not due to want of reasonable care.

The 1954 Convention recommended that governments should encourage the establishment of oil reception facilities for ships. This is given effect in Part III of the Bill which empowers the Port of Singapore Authority to provide such facilities. The Minister is also empowered to make regulations to require ships to be fitted with equipment to prevent or reduce the discharge of oil into the sea. Regulations may also be enacted to require masters of ships to keep records or matters relating to oil. Restrictions are placed on the transfer of oil from or to a vessel at night. It shall be the duty of the owner, master or agent of a vessel or occupier of a place on land, to report any escape of oil into Singapore waters.

Part IV contains miscellaneous provisions including power to detain a vessel suspected of discharging oil or garbage, etc., into Singapore waters. The Minister is generally empowered to make regulations for preventing the pollution of Singapore waters, including requirements for oil refineries to store detergents and equipment to deal with any pollution of our waters, Persons responsible for polluting our waters are liable to pay for the cost of removing or eliminating the pollutant.

Mr Speaker, Sir, if the provisions of this Bill appear to be severe, it is because we regard the problem of pollution of the sea as a major problem for us and strong measures are necessary to provide effective control of a difficult subject. By and large, ship-owners and other operators have shown a reasonable sense of responsibility in the matter, but, unfortunately, there are some parties for whom only strict application of the law would appear to be the means for ensuring some form of discipline. I appeal to the whole shipping community to make a concerted effort to co-operate with us in keeping our seas and marine environment clean and pollution-free. For those who choose to be recalcitrant, may I sound a note of warning, and it is this - that we will not hesitate to apply the full force of the law to any person found contravening the provisions of this Bill, i.e., the power to detain suspected vessels will be exercised without hesitation.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

Question proposed.

2.46 p.m.

Mr Teong Eng Siong (Sembawang): (In Mandarin): Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to congratulate the Minister on introducing this Bill. At the moment, although the problem of pollution of our seas is not serious, there are already signs that it will be. Therefore, the fact that the Government is ready to introduce this Bill in order to be able to take positive steps to prevent further deterioration is a far-sighted policy. There are many countries which are already facing serious problems of sea pollution. For example, in Tokyo the pollution of the sea is so serious that the fish die. So we can say that this Bill is a far-sighted policy to maintain a pollution-free port.

We are taking positive steps to make Singapore a clean garden city. On the one hand, we bring about better living conditions for our people, and, on the other hand, we attract more tourists to our country. As we have spent a great deal of time and effort to keep our roads clean, we should also take steps to keep our Singapore waters clean, otherwise our livelihood will be affected by their pollution.

We realise that we are a port. At the moment, we are the fourth biggest port in the world, and we are improving and expanding in size. One day we may become the third greatest port in the world, or even the second. So any steps taken in this direction are necessary. I believe the people of Singapore will support the Bill and keep our waters and our port clean. I hope that the administrators in the departments concerned will carry out the policy effectively so that we have a beautiful and clean port.

2.49 p.m.

Mr Hwang Soo Jin (Jalan Kayu): Sir, I would just like to ask a small point. The Bill concerns the pollution of the sea. I am just wondering, what is the position in regard to the pollution of the air by vessels in Singapore waters? I do not think that this point is covered under the Environmental Health Act.

Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: Mr Speaker, Sir, we believe in dealing with matters in stages. This is a Bill for the prevention of pollution of the sea. We shall in time deal with the atmosphere above the sea.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. -[Mr Yong Nyuk Lin].

Bill considered in Committee.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

2.51 p.m.

Clause 1 -

The Chairman: The date of the citation title will be changed to "1971".

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 2 to 28 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Bill reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.