LAND RECLAMATION OFF PULAU TEKONG (Impact on Malaysia)

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong asked the Minister for National Development what is the situation regarding the land reclamation off Pulau Tekong and its possible impact on the Malaysians.

The Minister for National Development (Mr Mah Bow Tan): Mr Speaker, Sir, there have been many reports in the Malaysian media alleging that our land reclamation works off Pulau Tekong and Tuas will impact Malaysia in various ways. We are surprised by these recent allegations since our land reclamation policy is not new. Given Singapore's small size, it has been our long-standing policy to reclaim land from our territorial waters so as to meet the demands on land use. I will address these allegations in my response.

First, there is concern that our works may encroach into their territorial waters, or somehow shift the boundary between Singapore and Malaysia. We have stated that the reclamation works are carried out entirely within our waters and that there is no encroachment. The reclamation works also cannot change the territorial boundary in the Johor Straits. This boundary was defined by fixed geographical coordinates since 1995 in an Agreement that was signed and ratified by Singapore and Malaysia.

Another concern raised is that the reclamation works at Pulau Tekong will affect the shipping lane to Pasir Gudang Port by making the shipping lane narrower and shallower. Sir, this is not the case. The existing shipping lane to Pasir Gudang Port lies in the deep water channel between mainland Singapore and the islands of Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong. Ships going to our Sembawang Wharves also use this shipping lane. The current reclamation works at Pulau Tekong will not reduce or otherwise affect the existing width of this shipping lane. The shipping lane is not made shallower by the reclamation works. The Maritime Port Authority (MPA) regularly monitors the siltation levels within the shipping lane to ensure that the channel remains deep enough for navigation.

In the case of Tuas, our reclamation works are about 7 km away from the shipping lane to Tanjung Pelepas Port, so there is no possibility that our reclamation would affect access to Tanjung Pelepas Port.

I would also like to address allegations that the reclamation works at Pulau Tekong will increase the current flow in the Johor Straits, cause flooding in Johor and affect the fishermen's catches. Hydraulic modelling studies are done for our reclamation works to assess the impact of reclamation on currents, tidal flows and water quality. They indicate that the reclamation at Tuas and Pulau Tekong will not have an adverse impact on the surrounding waters.

Furthermore, water quality in the Johor Straits has also been jointly monitored on a regular basis by our Ministry of the Environment and Johor's Department of the Environment (DOE) since 1991. The results show that the water quality in the Johor Straits has remained unchanged even after reclamation works have started.

Sir, Singapore has acted within its rights and obligations under international law in carrying out the reclamation works. During his visit to Malaysia in March this year, DPM Lee had indicated that if the Malaysians had concerns about the effects of the reclamation, they could send us a note and we would consider it. The Singapore Government is still waiting for a note from the Malaysians to understand their concerns more fully.

Mr S. Iswaran (West Coast): Sir, notwithstanding the legality of Singapore's reclamation works, there appears to be a perception across the Causeway that we ought to have consulted before we undertook these works. May I ask whether there is any basis for such a request or expectation in law and also whether this observation of Rule No. 1 has been bilateral.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: Sir, to answer Mr Iswaran's question, let me first explain to the House why we reclaim land.

Singapore is a small country. We are about 680 sq km. We need land. When Habibie said that we are a little red dot, he was not too far off the mark. If you look at the map, you will see Singapore in relation to Malaysia and Indonesia. Malaysia is about 330,000 sq km. So we are less than 1%, about 0.2%, the size of Malaysia. Our population is growing. Our need for land for schools, factories, housing is growing. That is the reason why we have to reclaim land. Without reclamation, we would not have Marine Parade, we would not have East Coast Parkway, we would not have the airport. Without reclamation, we would not have Jurong Island, we would not have space for industries. Without reclamation, we would not have Marina South to expand our CBD. So that is the reason why we have to reclaim land. We are not a big country like Malaysia.

Secondly, our reclamation is not a secret. We do not do reclamation quietly and sneak it through and suddenly we have the barges going to Pulau Tekong to reclaim land. Our plans are approved in Parliament, in this House. They are reviewed in all our concept plans. In fact, the reclamation of Pulau Tekong was reviewed in the 1991 Concept Plan, 11 years ago. The concept plans are revised every 10 years, and in the 2001 Concept Plan which we released last year, the reclamation plans are still there. Any member of the public can get access to these plans. If you are not in Singapore, you can just click on to www.ura.gov.sg and you can see these plans. So these are not secret plans, neither are they carried out surreptitiously or just on the spur of the moment. As I said earlier, we have looked at reclamation and we have carried out reclamation since the 1960s.

To summarise, we are a small country, we need land. We have been reclaiming land for a very, very long time. Even then, after all the reclamations for the last 40 years and all the reclamations that we are going to carry out within our territorial waters, we will still be a small country, still smaller than Malaysia. So it is rather surprising that these allegations come out at this particular point in time, that we are thwarting their port development, that we are affecting their waters, or affecting them in many other ways.

As I stated earlier, our reclamation works are done within our waters, in accordance with international law. We do not encroach on Malaysian territory. They do not affect navigation in the Johor Straits. They do not narrow the channel. They do not affect the water quality. The reclamation works that we do are a result of our own need for land. So I do not see why we have to consult Malaysia on a matter of sovereign concern.

A few years ago, Malaysia was thinking about reclaiming some land off Johor, in the Straits. This was not too long ago, and the planned reclamation was very extensive. They did not see the need to consult us, neither did we make any noise about it.

So given this, the fact that we need to reclaim, given the fact that we have made studies to ensure that the reclamation works do not have an impact, is it necessary for us to consult? Is it unreasonable for Singapore to want to continue to reclaim land to the maximum extent possible, within our territorial waters?

Dr Teo Ho Pin (Holland-Bukit Panjang): Sir, may I ask the Minister, besides the studies done, what other measures have been taken by the Ministry to minimise any possible environmental impact on both Malaysia and Singapore? Is there any pollution screen being erected, or whatever is being taken?

Mr Mah Bow Tan: When the reclamation works are being done, first of all, the reclamation barges have to be properly managed, properly steered, and so on. As far as the actual works are concerned, there is a requirement for the reclamation works to be carried out in such a way that pollution and siltation are kept to a minimum. For example, the contractors are required to make use of siltation screens. These siltation screens are meant to block the silt from actually moving out of the area of reclamation.

Dr Ong Chit Chung (Jurong): I would like to ask the Minister how binding is this 1995 agreement between the two countries, and could any one party alter it unilaterally, or interpret it differently.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: I think I should defer to my colleague, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, to answer this question. But as far as I know, it is an agreement that was signed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs for Singapore and the Minister for Foreign Affairs for Malaysia. It is an agreement that was ratified by both countries. It cannot be unilaterally altered by either party.

Mrs Lim Hwee Hua (Marine Parade): I would like to ask the Minister, therefore, is there a basis for the Malaysians' expectations of us to stop work.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: We have carried out these works within our territorial waters. We have taken all the necessary steps to examine whether there would be any adverse impact on the surrounding waters. The reclamation profile has been properly calibrated to make sure that the impact on the environment is minimised, if not, completely eliminated. So as far as we are concerned, we have carried out all these works in accordance with our international obligations and within international laws. There is really no need for us to stop work at this point in time.

Ms Irene Ng Phek Hoong (Tampines): Singapore's position is that it has no impact on shipping lanes, no effect on the environmental situation in the Straits. But given Malaysia's position that it has an impact and that it has indicated that it will send a note, looking forward, how do you see this being resolved, or would it be yet another issue in our tangle of problems?

Mr Mah Bow Tan: Sir, as DPM Lee has asked the Malaysians to send us a note, I think it is important for us to wait until we receive such a note in order to understand more clearly what exactly are their concerns. Because right now, from what we read in the media, there are so many different allegations and some of these allegations contradict one another. So I think it is best for us to just calmly wait for the note to come.

Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed (Aljunied): Sir, may I ask the Minister when we built the Second Link, although it was a joint project, we did quite substantial reclamation also for the purposes of the Second Link. Did the Malaysians raise any objections then?

Mr Mah Bow Tan: No, they did not.

Dr Ong Chit Chung: Sir, I would like to ask the Minister whether, under the 1995 agreement, or under any international law, is Singapore obliged to notify Malaysia, or consult Malaysia, when we want to do any reclamation.

Mr Mah Bow Tan: Sir, as I explained, the reclamation works are within our territorial waters and we have satisfied our international obligations. I do not see that there is a need for us to consult.