Efforts against haze must continue despite clearer skies: Tony Tan 

Published on Jun 25, 2013 5:50 PM

Cyclists are seen at Marina Barrage, which has been blanketed by haze caused by forest fires in Indonesia on June 22, 2013. The brief respite from the haze does not spell an end to the situation, and Singaporeans must continue to be prepared. -- ST FILE PHOTO: EDWARD TEO

By Poon Chian Hui

The brief respite from the haze does not spell an end to the situation, and Singaporeans must continue to be prepared.

President Tony Tan Keng Yam sounded these words of caution on Tuesday as rain fell for the first time since the haze swept over the city. "The winds have changed, the rain has come today...But fundamentally things haven't changed. Fires are still burning in Indonesia, The winds might come back again. The haze will be back," he said.

He was speaking during a visit to Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital, which has been provided with portable air coolers to ease the discomfort of its elderly patients.

Health Minister Gan Kim Yong, who was also visiting the hospital, said that the step-down care sector, which includes nursing homes and community hospitals are taking steps against the ill-effects of the haze. For example, more than 100 fans and air coolers have been loaned to 15 institutions. In addition, the Health Ministry is already working with retail outlets to restore their normal source of supply for N95 face masks, he said. More than four million masks were released from the Ministry's stockpile when shops ran out of stock last week.

Three cars damaged by fallen trees during heavy downpour 

Published on Jun 25, 2013 7:30 PM

At least three cars were damaged after a number of trees fell during Tuesday afternoon's heavy downpour in the west. -- PHOTO: HERMYN GABRIEL HERNANDEZ

By Jalelah Abu Baker

At least three cars were damaged after a number of trees fell during Tuesday afternoon's heavy downpour in the west.

Two of the cars were parked at a building on Toh Guan Road East near the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) when the incident occurred at about 4pm.

Another was at a car park in Bukit Batok Ave 4 but no one was hurt.

There were also a number of trees that lined up along Old Jurong and Bukit Batok roads, which were uprooted.

Some of the fallen trees blocked off a slip road on Bukit Batok Road, which leads to the PIE, causing a massive traffic jam.

Rain, hail and strong winds wreak havoc 

Published on Jun 26, 2013 8:22 AM

A worker (above) sawing off branches that fell onto the roof of a covered pedestrian bridge along Clementi Avenue 6 yesterday, after the long-awaited rain caused havoc in the western part of Singapore. -- ST PHOTO: JOYCE FANG

By Jalelah Abu Baker And Pearl Lee

Freak weather conditions, including hail, wreaked havoc in the western part of Singapore yesterday afternoon.

Several roads were blocked by uprooted trees, causing massive traffic jams during and after the heavy downpour. The exit to Jurong Town Hall road on the PIE, Bukit Batok Road, Toh Guan Road and Old Jurong Road were some roads that were affected.

Items such as bamboo poles and plastic chairs were sent flying by strong winds. And at least three cars were damaged by falling trees and branches.

Two of the cars - a Toyota Vios and a Toyota Camry - had been parked at a building's open-air carpark on Toh Guan East Road, just beside the Pan Island Expressway.

Ms Crystal Wong, the owner of the Vios, was shocked by the sight of a tree on top of her car as she walked towards it after work at about 5pm. Her car had to be towed away.

"I don't usually park here," said the 31-year-old project manager, who works in a neighbouring building, bemoaning her bad luck. "The lots at my office building were all occupied because I was slightly late today."

The Camry, which served as Lay Auto's company car, had its roof damaged by the uprooted tree. Staff had earlier moved five other cars from the carpark to the showroom when branches were swaying wildly in the rain.

The third car was damaged while parked at Bukit Batok West Avenue 2.

The weather also caused part of the ceiling in the Church of St Mary of the Angels on Bukit Batok East Ave 2 to come crashing down.

Retiree Ang Lam Toh, who was at a coffee shop in Bukit Batok West Avenue 4 at 3pm yesterday, said he saw ice pellets - as large as 50-cent coins - falling from the sky, accompanied by heavy rain and gusts of wind so strong that plastic chairs which had been stacked atop one another at the coffee shop fell over.

"The wind was strong and the rain was also very heavy, there were ice pieces everywhere - some even landed in the coffee shop," said the 53-year-old.

Although the Singapore Civil Defence Force said there were no reports of people who had been injured by trees, two visitors to the Singapore Zoo suffered pain in the ankle and abrasions when a falling tree branch hit them, a spokesman for Wildlife Reserves Singapore said.

jalmsab@sph.com.sgleepearl@sph.com.sg

Haze update: Malaysia PM Najib seeks cooperation from Jakarta on haze 

Published on Jun 25, 2013 11:05 AM

Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak delivers his keynote address at a TV station in Kuala Lumpur on March 19, 2013. Mr Najib will send an official letter to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, seeking cooperation from Jakarta to enforce more effective measures to punish those responsible for causing the haze. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak will send an official letter to Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, seeking cooperation from Jakarta to enforce more effective measures to punish those responsible for causing the haze.

Mr Najib said he had asked Natural Resources and Environment Minister G. Palanivel to meet his counterpart in Indonesia with regard to the matter on Wednesday, Bernama reported.

"The question of who owns the plantations is not the issue here but when something of this magnitude happens, there should be no concern of whether the plantations are owned by Indonesia, Malaysia or Singapore but rather action taken against those responsible," he said after chairing a Barisan Nasional Supreme Council meeting, here, on Monday night.

He was commenting on steps taken by the government to tackle the haze problem that has become an annual affair.

Mr Najib said Malaysia would offer aircrafts that can be used as water bombers to assist in putting out fires at the affected areas.

"The special aircrafts can absorb and store water that can be splashed on areas affected by the fire, including fire involving peat soil. Putting out fire which keeps burning below the surface will not be an easy task, so a more effective method is needed," he said.

Mr Najib added that a special prayer "solat hajat" would also be performed at Masjid Negara on Tuesday, seeking divine intervention and asking for rain since heavy rain can help solve the problem.

Haze update: Emergency status lifted, schools and offices reopen in Muar, Ledang 

Published on Jun 25, 2013 12:23 PM

A motorist wears a face mask as he rides in the haze-covered town of Muar, in Malaysia's southern state of Johor on June 23, 2013. All government offices and schools in Muar and Ledang reopened on Tuesday morning after the emergency status was lifted. -- FILE PHOTO: REUTERS

MUAR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - All government offices and schools in Muar and Ledang reopened on Tuesday morning after the emergency status was lifted.

Muar district officer Abdul Rahman Mohammed Dewam said the National Security Council informed his office on Monday evening that the emergency status was lifted.

"All are back to work as usual and all schools have resumed classes in the morning," he said.

The emergency status in Muar and Ledang was lifted after the Air Pollutant Index (API) readings in the two district improved drastically.

According to Muar natural disaster operation centre, the reading dropped to 121 as of 2pm on Monday from 746 on Sunday.

Haze update: Haze forces Malaysian King to inspect guard-of-honour in banquet hall 

Published on Jun 25, 2013 1:26 PM

Malaysian King Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah (centre) shakes hands with members of Parliament during the opening of the 13th parliament session at the Parliament house in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on June 25, 2013. For the first time in Malaysian history, the opening ceremony of the Parliament was held indoors due to the haze. -- PHOTO: APKUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - For the first time in Malaysian history, the opening ceremony of the Parliament was held indoors due to the haze.

The customary inspection of the guard-of-honour was held at the banquet hall of the Parliament building on Monday.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah was greeted by Cabinet members before heading off to the Dewan Rakyat to open the first meeting of the first session of the 13th Parliament which will go on until July 18.

Thick haze enveloped the nation's capital, forcing schools to cancel classes on Monday.

The Air Pollutant Index (API) readings in Port Klang and Banting, both in Selangor, crossed into "hazardous" and "very unhealthy" territory respectively at 5pm on Monday.

Meanwhile, in Penang the API readings surged on Tuesday to unhealthy levels, a rise from the moderate readings recorded on Monday.

Haze update: Penang air quality deteriorates to unhealthy levels 

Published on Jun 25, 2013 1:29 PM

The Air Pollutant Index (API) readings surged on Tuesday to unhealthy levels in Penang, a rise from the moderate readings recorded on Monday. -- PHOTO: THE STAR

GEORGE TOWN: The Air Pollutant Index (API) readings surged on Tuesday to unhealthy levels in Penang, a rise from the moderate readings recorded on Monday.

As of 7am, the API readings at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) hit 121, a jump from 81 at 5pm on Monday.

Elsewhere, in two other stations, Seberang Jaya 2 recorded up to 132 while in Prai, the readings increased to 118.

Haze update: Selangor, Perak now bearing the brunt 

Published on Jun 25, 2013 5:35 PM

An aerial view of the haze-covered capital of Malaysia Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, June 25, 2013. Selangor and Perak are bearing the brunt of the haze in Malaysia as the pollution moves northwards, giving some respite to Johor, which lifted the emergency status earlier on Tuesday as air quality improved. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

By Dionne Thompson, Assistant Foreign Editor

KUALA LUMPUR - Selangor and Perak are bearing the brunt of the haze in Malaysia as the pollution moves northwards, giving some respite to Johor, which lifted the emergency status earlier on Tuesday as air quality improved.

Selangor registered an Air Pollutant Index (API) reading as high as 452 in Port Klang on Tuesday afternoon, while the API reading in Perak reached 322 in Seri Manjung, taking air pollution to hazardous levels, according to the official Bernama news agency.

In contrast, the API in Johor's Muar district, which was previously under emergency status, had dropped to 127 in the same afternoon.

As a result of the air pollution, the authorities have ordered the closing of all schools in the Klang and Petaling Perdana districts in Selangor as well as the Manjung district in Perak on Wednesday.

The decision was taken on Tuesday evening after the API at those districts continued to exceed 250 at 5pm, said Director-General of Education Ghafar Mahmud in a statement.

All 102 schools in the Manjung district had already closed on Tuesday afternoon, a move that affects almost 40,000 students.

"We've obtained permission from the State Education Department and informed the school principals and headmasters. The morning session went on as usual as the students were already at school today," Manjung district education officer Muhd Suod Mat Thani told Bernama.

If the API exceeded 300, schools can close without having to seek the approval of the ministry, said Director-General of Education Ghafar Mahmud.

Haze update: 5 firms ordered to submit maps in RSPO probe 

Published on Jun 25, 2013 5:59 PM

This handout picture taken on June 23, 2013, and released by Greenpeace on June 25, shows smoke blanketing cleared forest land as fires rage in Riau province on Sumatra island. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), an international organisation that monitors and promotes sustainable farming of palm oil, is launching investigations into five of its members in the wake of the forest fires in Indonesia. -- PHOTO: AFP / ULET IFANSASTI / GREENPEACE

By Dionne Thompson, Assistant Foreign Editor

THE Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), an international organisation that monitors and promotes sustainable farming of palm oil, is launching investigations into five of its members in the wake of the forest fires in Indonesia.

It is asking PT Jatim Jaya Perkasa, Sinar Mas, Tabung Haji Plantations, Kuala Lumpur Kepong and Sime Darby to submit digital maps of their plantations in Kalimantan and Sumatra within the next 48 hours for its investigation, it said in a statement released late on Monday.

RSPO will compare these maps against the published mapping of the forest fires by the American Nasa (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and Noaa (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) as part of its investigation.

"If the investigations confirm negligent conduct – the RSPO will not hesitate to take action," it said.

Several RSPO member companies say they support the move by RSPO to clear the air.

"Sime Darby Berhad fully supports the initiative by RSPO. I would like to reiterate Sime Darby's commitment and full compliance of the zero burning policy, which is strictly embedded in all our oil palm plantation operations," said Sime Darby president and group chief executive Mohd Bakke Salleh.

"We will be making arrangements to submit the digital maps of our plantations to RSPO and shall give the RSPO fullest cooperation during the process of the proposed investigations," said Kuala Lumpur Kepung head of sustainability Sin Chuan Eng.

RSPO members are not allowed to resort to open burning and have standard operating procedures to manage fire risks.

"The environmental pollution caused by forest fires in Indonesia that has enveloped several countries in South East Asia to such hazardous levels is deplorable," said RSPO secretary general Darrel Webber.

"The RSPO firmly condemns any negligent activities related to this. The RSPO is highly concerned about the impact on communities and children living in these countries and strongly advocates urgent measures to be taken to cease this heightening pollution."

Haze: Indonesia arrests 8 in fires causing choking haze 

Published on Jun 25, 2013 6:58 PM

Indonesian firefighters battle forest fires in Riau province on Sumatra island on June 23, 2013. Police say eight farmers have been arrested for setting illegal fires on Indonesia's Sumatra island to clear land after numerous blazes created a choking haze in parts of Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP/UTLET IFANSASTI/GREENPEACE

PEKANBARU, Indonesia (AP) - Police say eight farmers have been arrested for setting illegal fires on Indonesia's Sumatra island to clear land after numerous blazes created a choking haze in parts of Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia.

Local police spokesman Lt. Col. Hermansyah said the farmers were arrested Monday and Tuesday after being caught "red-handed," but he did not say whether they were employed by large companies that have been accused of deliberately starting the fires.

Lt Col Hermansyah said about 1,100 residents were forced to flee two Sumatran villages on Tuesday as thick smoke from burning peat swamps and palm oil plantations made it difficult to breathe.

A day after apologizing to people in neighboring Singapore and Malaysia, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono deployed 3,000 additional personnel Tuesday to fight the fires.

Haze update: Indonesia beefs up disaster response in Riau 

Published on Jun 25, 2013 7:00 PM

Firefighters and military personnel, part of the task force that will be deployed to help battling forest fires on Sumatra island, are dismissed after being briefed at Halim Perdanakusumah airbase in Jakarta, Indonesia on Tuesday, June 25, 2013. Indonesia is beefing up its disaster response operation in Riau, with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono sending an additional 1,400 disaster officials, soldiers, cops, and civil servants to the affected areas. -- PHOTO: AP

By Zakir Hussain Indonesia Bureau Chief In Jakarta

INDONESIA is beefing up its disaster response operation in Riau, with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono sending an additional 1,400 disaster officials, soldiers, cops, and civil servants to the affected areas.

They were transported to Riau on nine aircrafts earlier on Tuesday, following a short ceremony at the Halim airbase in Jakarta attended by Dr Yudhoyono.

Some 2,300 men are already on the ground in the province that has been badly affected by burning.

Another 1,600 will head there on Wednesday, said National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) chief Syamsul Maarif.

This will bring the total number of rescue personnel on the ground to over 5,300.

Dr Yudhoyono reminded the disaster response team that their task was to "overcome the burning and smoke in Riau" and "do it well, complete".

He saw the men off a day after he apologised for the haze and said efforts to control it would be stepped up.

Dr Syamsul, who is leading the response effort, told reporters the men would be deployed for aerial operations - cloud seeding and water bombing - as well as land operations to fight fires.

Health care and social workers will also help treat affected residents.

Dr Syamsul was also seeking assistance from the Foreign Ministry to deploy additional aircraft for water bombing operations, that could be rented from Russia, Canada, Australia or Korea.

"We are finding, and will rent as fast as we can," he added.

Police are also leading investigators from the forestry and environment ministries to track those responsible for conducting indiscriminate burning.

Asked if there was assistance from Singapore and Malaysia, Dr Syamsul said that for the time being, Indonesia would mobilise its national capabilities.