Debated in Parliament on 10 Sep 2026.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.]
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