Contingency Plans to Minimise Impact of Transboundary Haze on SEA Games 2015

Mdm Speaker, transboundary haze has been an issue during the dry period between June and October. We will do whatever we can to engage our neighbours and manage the issue upstream, and we are doing so through various regional forums such as the SEA Games Federation, so that the Games can proceed smoothly. We will also have contingency plans in place to mitigate the effects of the haze on athlete preparation and the organisation of the SEA Games.

Drawing on lessons learnt from dealing with the haze in recent years, we will work closely with the National Sports Associations (NSAs) to ensure that Team Singapore athletes can continue to train safely in the event the haze returns in the run up to the SEA Games. This includes arranging for indoor training where possible when the haze situation worsens.

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The Singapore SEA Games Organising Committee (SINGSOC) is also making plans to mitigate the impact of the haze on the organisation of the Games itself. For example, SINGSOC will build in buffers in the competition schedule to allow for the postponement of events if necessary.

SINGSOC is also developing a framework to determine whether or not to proceed with events at differing levels of air quality. The framework will take reference from the air quality descriptor and public health advisories issued by NEA and will be overseen by a committee comprising representatives from the International and Asian Sports Federations, as well as experts in various fields, such as medical, communications and security.

Based on this framework, we will postpone events or move them indoors, as and when the need arises. But not all sports can be played indoors and there are limits to how much we can adjust the competition schedule. So, if the bad air quality persists, then we may have no choice but to shorten or cancel certain events.

In conclusion, I would like to assure the Member that we will spare no effort to ensure a safe Games for all athletes, officials, supporters, volunteers and spectators.

I thank the Minister for the answers. I have three clarifications. In terms of the contingency plans for the preparation phase for Team Singapore athletes, is there any thought given to perhaps sending our athletes overseas to prepare in the run-up? We have seen, this year in particular, the transboundary haze's appearance in countries like Singapore has been coming earlier and earlier. A lot of it is dependent on the climate situation. So, can we consider helping our athletes prepare better by sending them overseas?

My second clarification is: has there been any standard set as to the level of air quality that will trigger events being moved indoors, and events being cancelled completely?

My third clarification is: given all these contingencies of shifting events around and with the potential for postponing them, is there any indication of extra costs being incurred by SINGSOC and by Singapore as the host?

Madam, let me answer the last question first. As I had mentioned earlier, we are already, in the preparation of the schedule, putting in place some of these buffers so that there can be postponements, if needed. These can be done without much increase in costs. For example, we have scheduled the marathon very early in the competition. That gives us more buffer time because if something happens on that particular day, then there is a buffer to shift the date of the marathon to another date later during the

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Games. These are some of the things we have done as contingencies for preparation of the Games.

If the haze is so bad that certain events cannot continue, then, as I had said, some of them will have to be cancelled. I do not think this will incur significant costs. Provisions are made in the contract so that we can make these cancellations in the event of such scenarios. I think we are able to manage the cost implications from the haze.

The level of air quality and the framework in order to determine when and whether or not to continue, to shift indoors, as I have mentioned earlier, these are things that are being prepared quite thoroughly for, so that we have a solid framework to guide our decisions.

On the first point about overseas training, we have some preparations for overseas training. Some of these are already being done, regardless of the air quality in Singapore, simply because we want to give our athletes more exposure to compete with the best or perhaps because the training environment overseas and the exposure they have from overseas games would give them better preparation. These will be taken into consideration as well, should the air quality in Singapore worsen to such an extent that an overseas training stint is required.