PREVENTION OF HAZE POLLUTION

Mr Simon S C Tay asked the Minister for the Environment, following the recent meeting of ASEAN Ministers for the Environment, what are the prospects of successfully preventing the haze pollution from returning to Singapore this year and if the Government has been asked or will consider to render technical, financial or other assistance beyond the assistance that is presently offered.

The Minister for the Environment (Mr Yeo Cheow Tong): Sir, unless heavy rains fall over East Kalimantan over the next few months, the chances of preventing the haze from affecting Singapore are slim.

Over the past few weeks, satellite pictures have shown a dramatic increase in the number of fires in Kalimantan. A dense cloud of smoke, haze many times the size of Singapore, has built up over Kalimantan. The situation is of grave concern to us.

Singapore is currently cooperating with and assisting Indonesia within the framework of the Regional Haze Action Plan. While Indonesia has so far not approached us for any assistance beyond what we are providing today, I have informed my Indonesian counterpart that Singapore will be prepared to assist where we have the necessary technical expertise.

During the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Haze held in Kuching on 25th February, the Indonesian Environment Minister stated that only the onset of rains could put the Kalimantan fires out, and current fire-fighting efforts by Indonesia would only mitigate the situation. In view of this assessment, the ASEAN Environment Ministers attending the Meeting proposed that Malaysia and Indonesia immediately activate their bilateral MOU on joint disaster management and relief efforts, and that personnel of the two countries proceed to identify the additional resources that are needed to fight the fires. Singapore and the other ASEAN countries can then help to provide some of the needed resources.

The Ministers also called for immediate international help to meet the looming crisis. Singapore will work alongside international organisations such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to mobilise international assistance. We have met up with UNEP in Kuching and are in touch with them. Singapore will also actively participate in any international effort to help put out the fires.

Mr Chiam See Tong (Potong Pasir): Sir, the Minister says that the chances of preventing the haze coming from Kalimantan to Singapore are slim. I want to know why. Is there not a government there?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Yes, there is a government there, as I am sure Mr Chiam knows. However, the fires have now spread to a huge area, and the situation has been made worse by the long drought that Kalimantan has been facing because of the El Nino effect. I think Mr Chiam would realise, if he has been watching TV on fighting big bush fires, that once the fires are raging, it is very difficult to put them out. In fact, the fire that we had recently in Singapore involving a pile of waste wood took us about 3-4 days to put out. With over 50 people working and with a lot of equipment being put on the job, it still took us quite a few days to put out what is relatively a small fire, in the context of the big fires that are raging in Kalimantan. That is why we have to mobilise international support and assistance, because in the current economic situation that Indonesia is in, I think it would be difficult to expect them to deploy a lot of resources. So we must supplement whatever resources they have through international efforts.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, I agree that this is an international problem. But is there not a law, in the first place, to stop people from starting the fires there? I think this message should be put across to the Indonesians.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Yes, Mr Chiam, the Indonesians have relevant laws against illegal burning, and we have been urging them to ensure that those laws are being enforced as best as possible.

Mr Chiam See Tong: Sir, it would appear that the laws are not properly enforced at all. Now we hear of raging fires.

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Perhaps Mr Chiam may like to go to Jakarta and put his message across.

Mr Chiam See Tong: We have Roving Ambassadors. Is the Minister suggesting that I should also be a Roving Ambassador for this job?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Is he looking for a job?

Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam (Non-Constituency Member): Sir, may I ask the Minister whether his answer to Mr Chiam is the correct answer? It is no good saying that Mr Chiam should go to Jakarta to find out for himself. Has the Minister asked for reports from the Indonesian government on what they are doing to enforce these laws? Has he had a report from them?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, I can assure Mr Jeyaretnam that we are in regular contact with our Indonesian counterparts as well as with our Malaysian counterparts who are also equally concerned as we are. The Indonesian Minister has told us, as I have reported in my main answer, that in view of the fact that the fires have now spread over such a big area, they can only hope to solve the problem with the help of nature, ie, hope for the rains to come and for the drought to end.

Mr Jeyaretnam: Is the Minister then saying that there is really nothing anyone is going to do except to pray for the rains?

Mr Yeo Cheow Tong: Sir, if he had been listening carefully, he would have heard that I said that the ASEAN Ministers, realising that there is a big crisis looming, have already asked for international help, very early in the game, and that UNEP has responded quite positively, and we look forward to the international efforts coming with the active help of UNEP. With the international help, I think we have a better chance of solving the problem, rather than leaving it just to Indonesia and Malaysia.