FOREST FIRES IN EAST KALIMANTAN AND SUMATRA

Mr Simon S C Tay asked the Minister for the Environment whether the forest fires burning in East Kalimantan and Sumatra are likely to affect Singapore with haze pollution in the foreseeable future and whether Singapore has given or offered technical, financial or other forms of assistance to deal with the fires.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: During the current Northeast Monsoon season, there is little likelihood of Singapore being affected by smoke haze. At worst, there may be the odd day when a change in wind direction may bring in some smoke haze, causing our sky to be slightly hazy. The probability of this happening is however quite low.

Although there is little threat from smoke haze during this time of the year, my Ministry has continued to work closely with the Meteorological Service in monitoring the region's hot spot situation through satellite pictures. In the past few weeks, satellite pictures have started to show some hot spots in eastern Kalimantan, and more recently in central Sumatra. My Ministry has forwarded the satellite information to the Indonesian authorities to assist them in locating and putting out the fires.

The winds will become more variable in April, when the inter-monsoon period sets in. If there are still fires and smoke haze in Kalimantan and Sumatra during this period, some of the smoke haze may be blown over to Singapore.

Singapore's assistance to Indonesia is within the framework of the Regional Haze Action Plan which Asean Environment Ministers have agreed to. We will install the intranet system by March 1998 which will allow Indonesia immediate access to our satellite-based fire monitoring system.

The Asean Environment Ministers and senior officials will meet again on 24th and 25th February in Kuching, Malaysia, to discuss the progress in the implementation of the Regional Haze Action Plan, and we will find out if Singapore can be of further assistance within the context of this Plan.