Singapore And Malaysia Strengthen Joint Emergency Response To Chemical Spills

Source: Government of Singapore

14th chemical emergency response exercise conducted as part of the bilateral co-operation under the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment (MSJCE)

JOINT NEWS RELEASE BETWEEN NEA AND DOE

Singapore, 23 July 2025 – The National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore and the Department of Environment (DOE), Malaysia, successfully conducted the 14^th chemical emergency response exercise at the Tuas Second Link this morning, sharpening the inter-operability between the two countries to respond to and mitigate chemical spillage incidents. A total of 15 agencies and companies from both countries were involved in the exercise [1].

2               The Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment (MSJCE) conducts a biennial exercise to test the effectiveness of the Joint Emergency Response Plan developed by NEA, DOE, and other relevant agencies for dealing with accidental hazardous chemical releases on the Tuas Second Link [2]. These exercises strengthen the emergency response capabilities of the respective agencies, ensuring that they are prepared to take swift and effective action to protect the public’s safety should such an accident occur.

3               Today’s exercise simulated an emergency response to hazardous chemicals being released as a result of a multi-vehicle accident along the Tuas Second Link [3]. In the simulated scenario, a truck transporting drums of concentrated sodium hydroxide swerved sideways into an International Organisation for Standardization (ISO) tanker transporting anhydrous ammonia from Singapore to the Pasir Gudang Industrial Area, Malaysia. Unable to avoid the sudden collision, a car then crashed into the truck. The impact caused two drums of concentrated sodium hydroxide to be dislodged and the chemical to be spilled. The ISO tank was punctured, releasing about 400kg of ammonia gas into the surroundings. The drivers of both the ISO tanker and truck suffered injuries and showed signs of ammonia exposure – coughing and irritation to the eyes, nose and throat. The driver of the car and the passenger were trapped in their vehicle with minor injuries.

4               NEA Chief Executive Officer Mr Wong Kang Jet attributed the success of the exercise to the longstanding and strong bilateral relations between Singapore and Malaysia. “This joint chemical spill exercise has enabled Singapore and Malaysia agencies to further strengthen our cooperation on environmental matters. This exercise is part of a broader set of collaboration that also includes joint regular water quality monitoring along the Straits of Johor as well as workshops to exchange ideas and share expertise. All in, around 500 participants from across 15 agencies from both countries helped with this morning’s exercise. We also had the opportunity to test out newer technologies such as SCDF’s robotic dog, as well as BOMBA’s Long Range Gas Detector. These innovations allow us to monitor the air quality in the incident area in a safer way. The completion of this exercise has also given us greater confidence that we can manage an accident along the Second Link, as well as any other environmental incident with cross border impact. We look forward to strengthening this partnership as well as to explore new opportunities to further increase our collective readiness.”

5               Director General of the Department of Environment, Dato’ Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar, stated: “I believe in the strong commitment and collaboration between agencies of both countries in ensuring the success of this exercise, and I am confident that it will continue in the future. This cooperation reflects our level of preparedness in responding to any unforeseen incidents”. The Department of Environment is also committed to strengthening inter-agency collaboration within Malaysia through the delegation of power, which was gazetted on 7 July 2025. This delegation reinforces the roles and functions of 15 agencies, supporting more efficient and comprehensive task execution. This move not only allows for more effective use of resources but also serves as a strategic approach to addressing current challenges, while maintaining integrity and public confidence in the country’s environmental regulatory system.

6               To facilitate the exercise, all three lanes on the Singapore to Malaysia-bound carriageway on the Tuas Second Link were closed to vehicular traffic on 23 July 2025, from 5am and will reopen at 2pm. We thank motorists and any affected travellers for their patience and understanding.

 

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ANNEX A

The Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment (MSJCE)

Background

            The Tuas Second Link was opened on 2 January 1998. As part of the bilateral co-operation programme, the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment (MSJCE) agreed that road transportation of hazardous chemicals between the two countries should be restricted to the Tuas Second Link. This has ensured that road tankers and vehicles carrying hazardous chemicals do not pass through congested and populated areas in Johor Bahru and Woodlands/Bukit Timah areas.

2            Hazardous chemicals are often moved between the two countries. Common chemicals transported between the two countries include sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide. Considering the large amounts of chemicals transported via the Tuas Second Link, it is important to have in place response plans for any accidents or emergencies involving vehicles transporting hazardous chemicals.

3            Under the auspices of the MSJCE, the Department of Environment (DOE), Malaysia, and the National Environment Agency (NEA), Singapore, together with other relevant agencies, jointly developed an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) to deal with accidents involving transportation of hazardous chemicals on the Tuas Second Link. The ERP comprises the following:

a) a notification procedure to alert the two countries early on any incident involving release of hazardous chemicals occurring on the Tuas Second Link; and

b) a response procedure to facilitate and co-ordinate emergency response actions by the agencies of both countries to control and mitigate a release of hazardous chemicals from incidents occurring on the Tuas Second Link.

4          The 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 hazardous chemicals at the Tuas Second Link. To familiarise agencies from both countries with the ERP, DOE and NEA regularly conduct joint field exercises. Previous exercises are as follows:

 

Participating Agencies / Companies in the 14^th Malaysia-Singapore Joint Emergency Exercise for Chemical Spill

S/N	Singapore
1. 2. 3. 4.	Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) National Environment Agency (NEA) Pride-Chem Industries Pte Ltd

S/N	Malaysia
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.	Ministry of Home Affairs (KLN) Malaysian Border Control & Protection Agency (AKPS) Ministry of Health (KKM) Department of Environment (DOE) Fire and Rescue Department (BOMBA) Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) Malaysia Road Transport Department (JPJ) Malaysia Immigration Department (JIM) PLUS Berhad Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM)

S/N	Malaysia
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.	Ministry of Home Affairs (KLN) Malaysian Border Control & Protection Agency (AKPS) Ministry of Health (KKM) Department of Environment (DOE) Fire and Rescue Department (BOMBA) Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) Malaysia Road Transport Department (JPJ) Malaysia Immigration Department (JIM) PLUS Berhad Royal Malaysian Customs Department (JKDM) Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM)

 

ANNEX B

Information on the Chemicals

Information on Anhydrous Ammonia

Physical Description ·       Colourless liquefied gas. ·       Has a stinging odour and is not flammable.   Health Hazard ·       Inhalation may cause severe irritation or burn of the nose, throat and respiratory tract. ·       Corrosive to the skin and can cause burns. ·       May cause serious eye damage when in contact with the eye. ·       Ingestion may be fatal, cause burns and corrosion, severe pain in the throat, esophagus, and stomach.   Industrial Uses ·       Commonly used to make fertilisers, household cleaning products and refrigerant recirculating fluid. ·       It is also used in many soldering machines for the manufacturing of jewellery.

Information on Concentrated Sodium Hydroxide

Physical Description ·       Colourless liquid. ·       Odourless and not flammable.   Health Hazard ·       Inhalation may cause burns of mucous membranes, cough, and shortness of breath. ·       May cause severe skin burns and eye damage when in contact with the eye. ·       Ingestion can cause severe burns of the mouth and throat, as well as the potential danger of perforation of the esophagus and stomach.   Industrial Uses ·       Commonly used in paper manufacturing, chemical cellulose bleaching, chemical industry, petrochemical, textile industry and the making of soap and detergents.

Information on Ammonia Gas
Physical Description ·       Colourless gas. ·       Stinging odour. Health Hazard ·       May cause serious eye damage when in contact with the eyes.   Industrial Uses ·       Commonly used in fertiliser production, chemical manufacturing, water treatment and fuel production.