Reducing Environmental Impact for and Documenting Heritage of Island Communities Before Western Island Project Reclamation Works
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the environmental, heritage, and technical considerations surrounding the proposed western island land reclamation project. Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked about documenting the heritage of former island communities and consulting their descendants, while Dr Hamid Razak and Mr Vikram Nair questioned the criteria for avoiding ecologically sensitive sites and steps to protect marine biodiversity. Additionally, Mr Cai Yinzhou inquired about the feasibility, environmental impact, and deciding factors regarding the use of empoldering as a reclamation method. In response, Minister Chee Hong Tat stated that these matters were addressed in the Ministry of National Development's earlier reply on 8 September 2026 regarding the assessment and mitigation of environmental, heritage, and community impacts of the project.
Transcript
84 Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Government will document the cultural and maritime heritage of the former island communities of Pulau Semakau, Pulau Sudong and Pulau Seking before reclamation; and (b) whether the Government will consult descendants of these communities as part of the stakeholder engagement announced for the proposed western island.
85 Dr Hamid Razak asked the Minister for National Development what criteria does the Ministry apply in deciding whether to avoid reclamation in ecologically sensitive areas rather than proceeding with reclamation and mitigation measures where environmental studies identify high-value marine habitats, including in relation to the proposed reclamation involving the western islands.
86 Mr Cai Yinzhou asked the Minister for National Development regarding the reclamation of the new western island (a) whether empoldering, as used at Pulau Tekong, is being considered as the primary reclamation method; (b) how the reduced fill volume of empoldering lowers environmental impact, including seabed disturbance and sand-extraction footprint, compared with conventional reclamation; and (c) what factors will determine the choice of method.
87 Mr Vikram Nair asked the Minister for National Development what steps, if any, will the Government take to protect marine life and biodiversity that may be impacted by the planned land reclamation to create the new Western Island.
Mr Chee Hong Tat: These questions were addressed in the Ministry of National Development's reply to the questions asked by Dr Charlene Chen, Ms He Ting Ru, Mr Low Wu Yang Andre, and Mr Sharael Taha on 8 September 2026. [Please refer to "Assessing and Mitigating Environmental, Heritage and Community Impacts of Reclamation for New Western Island and Southern Islands Projects", Official Report, 8 September 2026, Vol 96, Issue 35, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]