SINGAPORE: National Development Minister Desmond Lee announced on Tuesday (April 12) that a network of new Labrador Nature Parks with more than 200 hectares of green space will be established, adding 30 kilometres to Singapore’s nature trails and park links .

He pointed out that this is almost 1.5 times the size of the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve.

Mr Lee said the new network of natural parks will include core habitats such as the Labrador Nature Reserve, mature secondary forests along the southern ridge, and surrounding green spaces such as Labrador Nature Park, Berlayer Creek and Pasir Panjang Park.

He added that the green space reserved on the Keppel Club website will also be part of the network.

On Tuesday, Mr Lee announced that about 6,000 Housing and Development Board (HDB) units would be built there, with the first build-to-order project expected to launch within three years.

Mr Lee said the ministry’s ecological analysis work showed the Keppel Club site was an “important ecological link” between mature secondary forests along the South Ridge and the Labrador Nature Reserve.

He added that within the Keppel Club grounds, about 10 hectares of green space will be set aside for parks and open spaces, accounting for 20 per cent of the area, or 18 football pitches.

“These green spaces will form four green fingers throughout the estate, serving both as habitat, as a link between flora and fauna and the surrounding natural areas, and as a recreational space for residents.”

The ecological analysis work also revealed “significant ecological links” between the South Ridge and Labrador Nature Reserve, through parts of Alexandra through the Keppel Club, and forested areas at Berlayer Creek, Mr Lee said .

He added that these corridors will be enhanced through the network, introducing several new green spaces of over 25 hectares.

These include a new nature park along Alexandra Creek, a new extension to Pasir Panjang Park, a new nature park at Berlayer Creek, and a new park at Kings Wharf above the reserved space on the Keppel Club grounds , said Mr. Lee.

“We will also restore and enhance existing habitats in the Labrador Nature Reserve, including coastal hills and coastal beach forests,” he added.

Mr Lee said the new nature park network will add nearly 30km of new nature trails, park connectors and nature pathways.

“This will provide a total of 40km of such space for Singaporeans to explore in the region,” he added.

He added that the MND commissioned an environmental impact study covering some 77.8 hectares to ensure the development plan was “sensitive to the surrounding terrestrial and coastal environment”.

The study found the site contained more than 390 plant species and 380 animal species, most of which were located in three areas of high conservation value, the HDB said in a separate fact sheet.

This includes primary secondary forests at Bukit Chermin and mangroves adjacent to Berlayer Creek, one of two mangrove habitats in the southern part of mainland Singapore.

Primary secondary forests are forests that have regrown on sites cleared before the 1950s and are dominated by native tree species.

HDB said the third area consists of seagrass meadows and rocky coastal habitats that naturally form in marine coastal areas and are used by many species of flora and fauna.

It said in the fact sheet that “additional mitigation measures” would be implemented to minimise potential impacts to flora and fauna in the surrounding area.

“We will also stage clearing activities to avoid bird breeding season and allow wildlife grazing before site clearing. A tree sanctuary will also be established to protect large trees,” HDB said.

It added that it will develop an environmental monitoring and management plan to ensure the effectiveness of mitigation measures, and closely monitor and manage any potential impact of infrastructure and construction works on the environment.

Mr Lee added: “When we need land for our development needs, we try to utilise brownfields first as much as possible.

“Even doing this, we remained sensitive to the surrounding natural areas and realised that if we needed to develop green spaces, we could minimise our impact on the environment. We used a science-based approach to identify and enhance ecological connectivity across the city. “

He added that the development of the Keppel Club grounds and wider network of natural parks exemplifies this approach.

“Working with our communities to integrate nature into our urban fabric. Transforming Singapore into a natural city where our people and our biodiversity can thrive together.”

SINGAPORE: Finance Minister Lawrence Wong said on Monday (April 4) that the government will propose budget measures to help Singaporean households amid rising global prices.

In a ministerial statement to parliament on inflation and business costs, Mr Wong said he would move forward with budget measures where possible because of these pressures.

Mr Wong said the S$100 CDC voucher for each Singaporean household will be distributed in the middle of next month. This is on top of the S$100 paid in December last year and will help people cover their day-to-day expenses.

Mr Wong announced that the first Service and Administration Charge (S&CC) rebate and U-Save rebate will also be issued to eligible households this month.

The rest of the U-Save and S&CC rebates will be paid out over the next few quarters – July and October this year, and January next year.

Mr Wong pointed out that there are other forms of family help, including top-up of each Singaporean child’s Child Development Account, Education Savings Account or Post-Secondary Education Account, as well as access to Medisave top-ups in the form of cash and GST vouchers.

He said the government will continue to ensure that these payments are released to Singaporeans in a “timely manner”.

Help will also be extended to businesses, Mr Wong said.

He announced that the Small Business Recovery Grant will be released early, and most eligible businesses will be able to receive it by June.

The grant provides up to S$10,000 to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that have been most affected by COVID-19 restrictions in the past year.

Help for low-income families
Mr Huang said there would also be more help for low-income households who were more affected during the price hike.

He said the Social Services Office (SSO) would support all new ComCare Short-Term Assistance (SMTA) clients who apply between this month and September this year for at least six months.

“Families already enrolled in the ComCare SMTA can also extend their assistance for at least three months if they need further assistance,” added Mr Wong.

“SSO will continue to be flexible in providing financial assistance and support to those in need. This includes providing additional cash assistance to ComCare recipients during this period to address inflationary pressures.”

Mr Huang said the government would also do more to help low-income groups pay for public transport.

Previously, it issued a public transit voucher (PTV) to every household that received a PTV at the previous event, including more than 30,000 ComCare beneficiaries.

Mr Wong said the government would make another round of payments for these ComCare recipients this month.

That means they will get S$60 in PTV, which will “roughly cover” the extra fare a family of four paid this year due to a fare hike last December.

In addition to these ComCare recipients, PTV is also available to all households with monthly income of up to S$1,600 per member. Applications for these vouchers are open from now until October 31.

Eligible families who have received the first coupon can also apply again if they need a second coupon.

Government subsidies for electricity consumption ‘untenable’, says Tan See Leng

Mr Wong pointed out that the price increases over the past few months were not unique to Singapore, but occurred globally.

Mr Huang said that while it was initially hoped in early 2022 that global inflationary pressures would ease during the year, global inflation is now likely to persist for longer due to the war in Ukraine.

“Now, before we have a chance to survive the pandemic, we face another economic challenge. After years of relative price stability, the recent spike in inflation has understandably alarmed many,” he added.

“But from the global context and our own experience, I hope we can better understand why prices are rising and what we can do to combat it together.”

Responding to a question from MP Lim Wei Kit (PAP-Sembawang) who asked what the “threshold” for more help would be in a high inflation situation, Mr Wong said he could not provide a specific “trigger point”

“How high inflation has to go before we see more help…I can’t give a specific trigger point. Right now, as I said, we monitor a range of indicators. Not just a headline for economic growth , inflation, unemployment, for that matter, and how it affects different groups, different income groups, different occupations,” he said.

“And then, for that matter, what’s the impact of the package of measures that we haven’t implemented yet? We need to see those measures implemented properly and impact the economy as well.”

“So there are all these different considerations. That’s why we can’t distill it so simply into one key parameter. But the assurance we continue to provide is that we’ll be monitoring that very closely. If things get worse…. ..with the situation inside and outside of Singapore, we will definitely be ready to do more.”

He added that Budget 2022 help was on the horizon and the government stood ready to do so if the situation “worsened and more support was needed”.

“There are dark clouds on the horizon. But as always, we will get through this together as one united people.”

JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor Department of the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs of Malaysia has pledged to strengthen enforcement against operators selling RON95 petrol to foreign-registered vehicles in the state.

Responding to CNA’s enquiries on Monday (April 4), the department’s director, Mohd Hairul Anuar Bohro, said his officers would continue to be deployed locally to ensure drivers and operators comply with regulations.

“Enforcement officers in the state … will continue to monitor and inspect to ensure that there is no illegal sale of regulated items, especially petrol and diesel, in Johor,” he said, adding that the operation involved about 200 people.

Mr Mohd Hairul Anuar added: “Severe action will be taken if a business commits offences relating to regulated goods under the Control of Supply Act 1961.”

Malaysia has banned the sale of RON95 petrol to foreign registered vehicles since August 1, 2010. RON95 provides subsidies for locals.

Foreign registered vehicles can be refueled with RON97 gasoline. The vehicles can also be refueled with diesel fuel, but only once a day, with a 20-litre limit at any petrol station within 25km of the Malaysia-Singapore land border.

Following the reopening of the land border between Johor and Singapore on April 1, a photo of an individual filling a Singapore-registered car with RON95 petrol at a kiosk in Johor Bahru went viral on social media.

Former prime minister Najib Razak, who shared the photo on his Facebook, wrote that allowing a foreign-registered car to top up the 40-litre RON95 would cost the government RM68 (S$21.90).

During the week of March 31 to April 6, RON95 will be sold at RM2.05 per litre, while RON97 will retail at RM3.91 per litre. Diesel is priced at RM2.15 per litre.

Mr Mohd Hairul Anuar told CNA that he knew the photo had gone viral on social media and that his department had taken “proactive and proactive actions” to monitor petrol stations, especially those located near the border.

“Based on our monitoring reports and inspections by law enforcement officers from station to station, it is clear that there is no reported illegal activity and that gasoline is being sold satisfactorily,” he added.

A banner reading “Welcome Back to Malaysia” was erected at a Gemini gas station in Johor Bahru. (Photo: CNA/Amir Yusof)
CNA visited four petrol stations in Johor Bahru, near the Woodlands Causeway, on Monday afternoon and observed that no Singapore-registered cars were refueling with RON95 petrol.

At a Shell petrol station along Jalan Lingkaran Dalam, a petrol station attendant was seen walking around the petrol station to ensure drivers with foreign-registered cars were not buying RON95s.

“Only a few need me to remind them, but most drivers are aware of the law,” said the Shell employee, who declined to be named.

A sign reminding foreign registered car owners about the laws of filling up at petrol stations in Malaysia. (Photo: CNA/Amir Yusof)
At Petronas petrol stations in Jalan Yahya Awal, each petrol station has a slogan outlining that the purchase of RON95 petrol by foreign-registered vehicles is “strictly prohibited”.

On Sunday afternoon, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi warned that petrol station operators caught selling subsidised RON95 petrol to foreign-registered vehicles could be fined up to $200. A fine of RM643,000 (S$643,000).

In a statement, the minister also ordered all state sector offices that border Singapore and Thailand to “intensify monitoring and inspections and take stern action against any party that violates the law”.

Under the Supply Control Act 1961 and the Supply Control Regulations 1974, if convicted, individuals can be fined up to RM1 million or jailed for three years, or both, while entities and companies can be fined up to RM2 million.

SINGAPORE: Singapore factory activity expanded for the 21st consecutive month in March, but at a slower pace than the previous month.

According to data released by the Singapore Institute of Purchasing and Materials Management (SIPMM) on Monday (April 4), the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 50.1 from 50.2.

A PMI reading above 50 indicates an overall expansion in the manufacturing economy, while a number below that threshold points to a contraction.

The latest data was attributed to a slower expansion in the new orders index and factory output index, as well as a faster contraction in the inventory index.

However, the institute said the index of new exports and employment expanded at a faster pace.

Imports, input prices and order backlog indices also expanded at a faster pace. But the supplier delivery index showed a slower pace of expansion.

“Amid rising cost pressures, the input price index recorded its highest reading of 51.9 since October 2013, when it stood at 53.0,” SIPMM said.

Sophia Poh, vice president of industry engagement and development at SIPMM, said the overall manufacturing sector ended the first quarter with slower growth amid a slowdown in the electronics industry.

“The ongoing conflict in Russia and Ukraine has clouded the outlook for manufacturing, with heightened concerns about rising energy costs and supply disruptions, as well as rising inflationary pressures,” she said.

Singapore’s manufacturing output jumps 17.6% in February, hits 8-month high
In March, the electronics industry PMI fell 0.1 percentage points from the previous month, and the growth rate slowed to 50.4, marking the 20th consecutive month of expansion for the industry.

“The latest industry data is attributed to the first contraction in the factory output index and a faster contraction in the inventory index,” SIPMM said.

However, it added that the index of new orders, new exports and employment expanded at a faster pace.

Imports, input prices and order backlog indices also recorded faster expansion rates.

“The supplier deliveries index has returned to contraction and the finished goods index has contracted at a faster pace,” SIPMM said.