Malaysia and Singapore Conduct a Joint Exercise to Tackle a Chemical Spill at East Johor Strait - Gov.sg
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Joint News Release
Singapore, 12 July 2018 | For Immediate Release
Malaysia and Singapore Conduct a Joint Exercise to Tackle a
Chemical Spill at East Johor Strait
This emergency response exercise is part of bilateral cooperation under Malaysia-Singapore
Joint Committee on the Environment
Today, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Marine Department of
Malaysia (MDM) conducted a joint chemical spill exercise at sea along the East Johor Strait
to test the Joint Emergency Response Plan (ERP) for Chemical Spill Incidents in the East
Johor Strait.
2 Jointly developed by MPA, MDM, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Johor
Department of Environment (DOE), the objective of the joint ERP is to respond to and mitigate
chemical accidents involving the seaborne transportation of hazardous chemicals along the
East Johor Strait. The emergency response exercise is part of the bilateral cooperation
programme under the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment (MSJCE).
Information about the MSJCE and agencies participating in the exercise can be found in
Annex A.
3 In the event of a chemical spill incident at sea, MPA will implement the Chemical
Contingency Plan (Marine), which covers the roles and responsibilities of the responding
agencies for the clean-up operations. Under this plan, MPA will monitor and coordinate clean-
up operations at sea, while NEA will monitor the air and water quality, and coordinate clean-
up efforts at affected shore areas.
4 Exercise CHEMSPILL 2018 comprised a joint table-top exercise on 10 July 2018,
followed by a full-scale ground deployment exercise which simulated a collision between a
fully laden chemical tanker and a product tanker near Tajam Beacon, off Pulau Ubin. As part
of the simulation, the chemical tanker suffered damages to its cargo tanks, and some 500
tonnes of Benzene were spilled into the sea, while the product tanker suffered minor damages.
Information about Benzene can be found in Annex B. Two crew members of the chemical
tanker were also injured. One was unconscious, while the other required immediate
evacuation for medical attention.
Page 1 of 55 The exercise also simulated a gasoline-like odour that was detected by residents
around Kampung Pasir Putih in Johor Bahru, staff from Outward Bound School at Pulau Ubin,
and fish farmers at Nenas Channel.
6 MPA led Singapore’s part of the joint response efforts with Malaysia in areas such
as spillage clean-up, environment monitoring around the affected tanker and evacuation
procedure. NEA supported the exercise by monitoring the air and water quality for signs of
chemical contamination near the shorelines, and exchanging information with DOE. In total,
Singapore deployed seven vessels and 50 officers from participating agencies to support the
exercise.
7 Mr Andrew Tan, MPA's Chief Executive said, "As chemical or oil spills are
transboundary in nature, it is important that we conduct regular bilateral exercises with our
immediate neighbours to strengthen regional and multi-agency response capabilities. Today’s
exercise ensures that all agencies are ready to respond swiftly and effectively in the event of
a chemical spill."
8 NEA’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr Ronnie Tay, said, “Chemical spills can have a far-
reaching impact on the environment and people. We are glad to have participated in this multi-
agency exercise, which has allowed us to test our preparedness and sharpen our bilateral
response in mitigating chemical spill incidents in the Straits of Johor.”
About Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) was established on 2 February 1996,
with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime
centre (IMC), and to advance and safeguard Singapore's strategic maritime interests. MPA is
the driving force behind Singapore's port and maritime development, taking on the roles of
Port Authority, Port Regulator, Port Planner, IMC Champion, and National Maritime
Representative. MPA partners the industry and other agencies to enhance safety, security
and environmental protection in our port waters, facilitate port operations and growth, expand
the cluster of maritime ancillary services, and promote maritime R&D and manpower
development.
About National Environment Agency
Formed on 1 July 2002, the National Environment Agency (NEA) is the leading public
organisation responsible for improving and sustaining a clean and green environment in
Singapore. The NEA develops and spearheads environmental initiatives and programmes
through its partnership with the People, Public and Private sectors. It is committed to
motivating every individual to take up environmental ownership and to care for the
environment as a way of life.
By protecting Singapore's resources from pollution, maintaining a high level of public health
and providing timely meteorological information, the NEA endeavours to ensure sustainable
development and a quality living environment for present and future generations.
For media clarifications, please contact:
Page 2 of 5Fouziah A. Rahim (Ms)
Senior Manager
Corporate Communications Department
Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
DID: (65) 6375-1852
Email: Fouziah_rahim@mpa.gov.sg
Tan Shou Qun (Mr)
Deputy Manager
Corporate Communications Department
National Environment Agency
DID: 6731 9355 / 9168 5014
Email: Tan_Shou_Qun@nea.gov.sg
Page 3 of 5Annex A
The Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment (MSJCE)
Background
As part of the bilateral co-operation programme, the Malaysia-Singapore Joint
Committee on the Environment (MSJCE) agreed that a Joint Emergency Response Plan
(ERP) for chemical spills in the Straits of Johor (SOJ) should be developed. The Joint ERP
for chemical spills in the SOJ was endorsed by MSJCE in Feb 2007.
2 Under the auspices of the MSJCE, the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore
(MPA) and Malaysia Marine Department (MMD), together with Department of Environment
(DOE), Johor, Malaysia, and the National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore, had jointly
developed an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) to deal with accidents involving
transportation of hazardous chemicals in the SOJ. The objectives of the Joint ERP are to
establish the following:-
a. A notification procedure to allow an early alert by the two countries of any incident
involving a chemical spill in the Straits of Johor.
b. A response procedure to facilitate and coordinate emergency response actions by
the agencies of both countries to control and mitigate the incident.
3 The Joint ERP will enable emergency response agencies of both Malaysia and
Singapore to take quick and effective response actions to minimise the consequences of an
accident involving the seaborne transportation of hazardous chemicals at the SOJ.
Participating Agencies / Companies in the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Emergency
Exercise for Chemical Spill at Straits of Johor
Malaysia Singapore
1. Marine Department 1. Maritime and Port Authority of
Singapore (MPA)
2. Malaysian Maritime Enforcement
Agency (MMEA/APMM) 2. National Environment Agency (NEA)
3. Chemistry Department 3. Police Coast Guard (PCG)
4. Department of Environment (Johor) 4. Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)
5. Immigration and Checkpoints Authority
(ICA)
6. National Parks Board (NPARKS)
7. Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of
Singapore (AVA)
8. Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL)
Page 4 of 5Annex B
Information on Benzene
Physical Description
Benzene is a colourless and highly flammable liquid with a sweet, aromatic, gasoline-like
odour. Due to its high volatility, benzene vaporizes readily to produce a highly flammable
vapour.
Health Hazard
Benzene is carcinogenic. Acute short term exposure to benzene by inhalation may cause
drowsiness, dizziness, headaches and eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation in humans.
Industrial Uses
Benzene is used as a constituent in motor fuels. It is also used to make other chemicals
which are in turn used to make plastics, resins and synthetic fibres.
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