ISKANDAR PUTERI, July 23 — Malaysia and Singapore today tested their joint emergency response plan with a cross-border chemical spill simulation at the Second Link, where over 150,000 tonnes of hazardous chemicals are transported annually.

The drill was designed to test the effectiveness of the Joint Emergency Response Plan (JERP) under  the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Committee on the Environment (MSJCE) in handling unforeseen incidents on the crucial crossing.

Department of Environment (DOE) director-general Datuk Wan Abdul Latiff Wan Jaffar said the exercise aims to increase the level of preparedness and coordination between the two countries when dealing with hazardous chemical spills.

“We are confident that the commitment and close cooperation between the agencies from both countries will continue to be strengthened,” he told reporters after the conclusion of the 14th Chemical Emergency Response Exercise.

The exercise was jointly conducted by Malaysia's DOE and Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA). 

Wan Abdul Latiff explained that the JERP, which was gazetted on July 7, involves 15 related agencies from both nations and enables a more efficient and comprehensive response.

Also present was NEA chief executive officer Wong Kang Jet, who said the success of the simulation demonstrated the strong bilateral commitment between Malaysia and Singapore.

“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.

“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,” he said

The biennial exercise simulated a multi-vehicle accident on the Second Link that led to the release of two highly hazardous chemical substances.

*A previous version of this story contained errors which have since been corrected.