TMC BUSINESS SCHOOL DIPLOMA IN MASS COMMUNICATION (Validated by RSA / UCLES)
DM10102 – PUBLIC RELATIONS
ASSIGNMENT
ASSIGNMENT: Define public relations and include theories with explanations to support argument. Use a report format to present a public relations campaign that you have come across, and provide information on the situation analysis, goals, target market, creative work plan, media plan and evaluation. (1,999 words)
Name: Edmond Ng Choon Chai Class Code: RDM3-03F Student No: 13250P
Date: 28 May 2003
Date Due: Friday, 30 May 2003 1
Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2
DEFINITION OF PUBLIC RELATIONS 2
CASE STUDY 5
Nature Society of Singapore: Chek Jawa Conservation
SITUATION ANALYSIS 6
GOALS 6
TARGET MARKET 7
CREATIVE WORK PLAN 8
MEDIA PLAN 9
EVALUATION 10
CONCLUSION 11
APPENDICES 12
Appendix 1: Pulling together to turn the tide for Chek Jawa 13
Appendix 2: Reclamation of Chek Jawa Deferred 18
Appendix 3: Chek Jawa saved for at least 10 years 20
Appendix 4: Government defers land reclamation 21
Appendix 5: Citizen Involvement in Chek Jawa 22
Appendix 6: Chek Jawa: Anatomy of a U-turn 24
Appendix 7: Ubin get reprieve 26
Appendix 8: Nature at its best 27
Appendix 9: Chek Jawa: Nature as Model Teacher 28
Appendix 10: Chek Jawa – Lost forever? 29
REFERENCES 31
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
In the bid to reverse the Government’s action to convert a coastal beach habitat for marine life at an island off the shores of Singapore into reclaim land, the Nature Society of Singapore (NSS) has put up a public relations
(PR) campaign to rally for its conservation.
The aim of this report is to provide the details of how the PR campaign for the coastal beach’s conservation was won through the use of press agentry and two-way asymmetric communication. The report begins with the definition of public relations and proceeds to look into the details of the case study for the PR campaign.
DEFINITION OF PUBLIC RELATIONS
There are many definitions of public relations. The Institute of Public
Relations (IPR), UK, defines it as:
the planned and sustained effort to establish and maintain
goodwill and mutual understanding between an organisation
and its publics.
The key words in the definition are planned, organisation and publics.
‘Planned’ refers to public relations as an intentional activity, “designed to influence, gain understanding, provide information and obtain feedback”
(Kwansah-Aidoo 2001, p.26). ‘Organisation’ refers to “any corporate or voluntary body”, and ‘publics’ refer to “audiences that are important to the
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3 organisation, have influence on it or are influenced by it” (Kwansah-Aidoo
2001, p.26).
The Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) defines public relations as:
the management function that establishes and maintains
mutually beneficial relationships between an organization
and the publics on whom its success or failure depends.
This definition by PRSA positions the many activities and goals in public relations practice as a management function. It identifies building and maintaining mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and its publics as the moral and ethical basis of the profession. At the same time, it suggests the criteria for determining what is and what is not a part of the function (Cutlip et al., 2000, pp.5-6).
The primary objective of public relations is to establish and maintain relationships between an organisation and its publics. The organisation’s publics are all those groups of people who share common interests or concerns in the organisation or its actions (Johnston and Zawawi 2000, pp.5-6). The publics include the government, the mass media, the investors, the customers, the community, the suppliers, the unions and trade associations, the pressure groups, the competitors, the internal and the general public (Kwansah-Aidoo 2001, p.26; Johnston and Zawawi 2000, pp.5-6).
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To build a mutual understanding between the organisation and its publics, the practitioner plays multiple roles to accomplish three primary functions: to control publics, directing what people think or do in order to satisfy the needs and wants of an organisation; to respond to publics, reacting to developments, problems or initiatives of others; and to achieve mutually beneficial relationships among publics by fostering harmonious interchanges (PRSA 1980, in Newsom et al., 1993, p.8). Tymson and
Sherman (1996) summarise the roles of public relations as: counselling based on an understanding of human behaviour; analysing future trends and predicting their consequences; researching public opinion, attitudes, expectations, and advising on necessary action; establishing and maintaining two-way communication based on truth and full information; promoting mutual respect and social responsibility; harmonising the private and public interests; promoting goodwill with employees, suppliers and customers; projecting a corporate identity; encouraging an interest in international affairs; promoting an understanding of democracy (Tymson and Sherman 1996, pp.3-15).
To fulfill the roles and functions of public relations, a practitioner must first understand his or her professional practice and develop a theory base. One of the more influential theories is that of Grunig and Hunt (1984), which advocate ‘symmetrical public relations’ against press agentry/publicity, public information and two-way asymmetric models for practising public relations.
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Press agentry/publicity model aims to “publicise the organisation, its products and its services in any way possible” (Grunig and Hunt 1984, p.1), while public information model seeks to “disseminate information to the public as truthfully and accurately as possible” (Grunig and Hunt 1984, p.1). Both the press agentry/publicity model and the public information model use one-way communication, dedicated to “help the organisation control the publics that affect it” (Grunig and Hunt 1984, p.1).
The two-way asymmetric model uses public relations to “persuade the public to agree with the organisation’s point of view” (Grunig and Hunt
1984, p.1) while the two-way symmetric model utilises the development of
“a mutual understanding between the management of the organisation and the publics that the organisation affects” (Grunig and Hunt 1984, p.1). Both the two-way asymmetric and the two-way symmetric models use two-way communication. However, in the case of two-way asymmetric model, the communication flow is greater from the organisation to its publics, while in the two-way symmetric model, the communication flow is considered equal
(Johnston and Zawawi 2000, pp.7-9).
CASE STUDY
Nature Society of Singapore (NSS): Conservation of Chek Jawa
With the scarcity of land in a small city-state island of Singapore, the government’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) had issued in 1991 a land development Concept Plan for 2001 (Sivasothi 2001, 2002), which
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6 includes reclaiming Chek Jawa, a coastal beach habitat for marine life at an island off the shores of Singapore, known as Pulau Ubin (Frances 2002).
SITUATION ANALYSIS
During a public forum organised by the URA to discuss land use in May
2001, a botanist, Joseph Lai, who stumbled on the coastal beach at Pulau
Ubin while acting as a voluntary guide for students to explore the coastal forests in the area, made an impassioned plea to the government to save
Chek Jawa (Lim 2001). It was the first time that such forums were aired in public and Mr Mah Bow Tan, the Minister of National Development, was the chairperson of the meeting (Lim 2001).
Following the initial publicity, the Nature Society of Singapore (NSS) decided to take collective action to rally for the conservation of the coastal beach and to reverse the government’s action to convert Chek Jawa into reclaim land (Lim 2001).
GOALS
By the time the NSS knew about the existence of the coastal habitat for marine life at Chek Jawa, it was less than six months before reclamation work was due to start in December 2001. At that point, few people knew about Chek Jawa’s coastal forest, mangrove, sand and mud flats, rich with sand dollars and other types of starfish, sea horses and octopi (Lim 2001).
Given the short time frame to turn the tide for policy change and the lack of public awareness, the goals for the PR campaign was:
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• To promote public awareness of Chek Jawa
• To gain mass publicity from the media
• To lobby support from politicians and obtain consensus from the
publics for the conservation of Chek Jawa
• To rally for a change in URA’s development plan, which was approved
by the government in 1992
• To save the coastal forests and marine habitat at Chek Jawa
TARGET AUDIENCE
The target audience for the public relations (PR) campaign was aimed at the general public, educationists, marine scientists, mass media, the politicians and the government bodies.
• General public includes citizens, students, nature lovers, media
audiences, and others, whose support and consensus are vital for the
campaign.
• Educationists are education providers, called to evaluate the educational
values and benefits in retaining Chek Jawa and in getting written
petitions to the government.
• Marine scientists are the marine experts who provide the research data
and appreciation of marine life, biodiversities and others.
• Mass media provides news coverage in the press and broadcast media,
including the Internet.
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• Politicians and Government are influential people and government
bodies that need to be rallied to support the conservation cause and to
represent the publics’ voice in the government.
CREATIVE WORK PLAN
The following tactics were deployed for the creative work plan:
• Research / Survey. Marine biologists, research officers and lay people
were called in to descend on Chek Jawa to survey its biodiversity and
the ecosystems (Lim 2001).
• Specimens and Photographs. Collect specimens and photograph the
area (Lim 2001).
• Analysis and Input. Invite marine biologists (Raffles Museum of
Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore, and Tropical
Marine Science Institute) for input on findings (Lim 2001; Frances
2002).
• Field Expeditions. Conduct field expeditions and public education
weekend visits to Chek Jawa for publics to appreciate the place (Lim
2001).
• Documentation. Reactions of audience who attended the organised
expeditions were documented and sent to the National Development
Minister (Lim 2001).
• Electronic Newsletters. Announcement of public education weekends
were made through electronic newsletters by the Raffles Museum of
Biodiversity Research (Lim 2001).
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• Lobbying. Lobby politicians, government agencies, teachers and nature
lovers to support the cause for conserving Chek Jawa (Chia 2002).
Invite government officials to visit Chek Jawa, with the aim to gain
sentiments and support (Chia 2002; Streats 2002).
• Consensus. Collect signatures from publics and supporters to provide
statistical data of consensus, and send information to the government
board (Chong 2002).
• CD-ROMs. Compile details of research findings, photographs of Chek
Jawa and written appeals into CD-ROMs, and send it to the government
and the mass media (Chua 2002).
• Mass Media. Write to forum pages in the press and generate discussions
on the Internet (Lim 2001). Invite the mass media to accompany
politicians and publics visiting Chek Jawa, so as to generate news and
publicity (Chia 2002; Streats 2002).
MEDIA PLAN
The media plan for the PR campaign was targeted to gain maximum news coverage and to win audience’s empathy on the possible lost of one of the few or last remaining natural marine life habitat in Singapore if the area is redeveloped (Lim 2001). To do that, the following tactics were employed:
• Internet. Photographs of marine life in Chek Jawa, which are a rare
sight in Singapore, were placed at websites to graphically portray
imagery remembrance on the publics’ minds (Sivasothi 2002; South
East District 2002; Lum 2003).
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• Press. Articles by prominent authors of nature books were written to
forum pages of a national newspaper, the Straits Times (Lim 2001) to
set a discussion going on conserving Chek Jawa.
• Mass Media. Information sent to the media received wide publicity on
Chek Jawa, including the press, television, radio and news on Internet
(Lim 2001; Chua 2002; Frances 2002; Streats 2002; Chia 2002; Chong
2002; Habitat News 2002).
Through winning the citizens’ hearts and support, the voice of the citizens led to the attention of the government, and with invitations to the media and government officials for an expedition at Chek Jawa, coupled with research data and appeals on CD-ROMs freely distributed, the media plan sees a campaign that successfully achieved its objectives, not only to bring public awareness, but also gained the necessary publicity.
EVALUATION
The media coverage and the visit by the National Development Minister,
Mr Mah Bow Tan and other government officials to Chek Jawa, resulted in forming favourable opinions that won the minister’s support (Streats 2002;
Chia 2002).
A few days before Chek Jawa’s reclamation was due to start, Mah announced that Chek Jawa would not be reclaimed (Lim 2001). The
Ministry of National Development later issued a statement (Habitat News
2002) that they have decided that all reclamation work was to be deferred
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11 for at least the next ten years. The ministry said the decision came after assessing reports submitted by the Nature Society, the National Institute of
Education, the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and other interested individuals (Frances 2002; Habitat News 2002).
CONCLUSION
The fight to preserve Chek Jawa’s marine life and its ecosystems showed the merits of persuasive argument. On the part of the NSS, they showed how to make their case and win it. On the Internet, in the newspapers, in the broadcast media, and in public forums, citizens and groups pleaded their cause (Chua 2002). Not only were they creatively diligent in presenting the appeals, they were also innovative in using CD-ROMs with field data and detailed reports on Chek Jawa’s biodiversity, that was accompanied by award winning pictures of the precious marine life.
(1,999 words)
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Appendices
Appendix 1: Lim, L. (2001) “Pulling together to turn the tide for Chek Jawa” in The Straits Times, 29 December, Singapore Press Holdings, Singapore.
Appendix 2: Habitat News (2002) “Media Articles on Chek Jawa: Reclamation of Chek Jawa Deferred”, in Chek Jawa HomePage
Appendix 3: Streats (2002) “Chek Jawa saved for at least 10 years”, 15 January, Singapore.
Appendix 4: Chia, H. K. (2002) “Government defers land reclamation at Pulau Ubin” in Channel News Asia (TV), 14 January, MediaCorp, Singapore.
Appendix 5: Chong, C. L. (2002) “Citizen Involvement in Chek Jawa” in NewsRadio 93.8 (Radio), 4 January, MediaCorp, Singapore
Appendix 6: Chua L. H. (2002) “Chek Jawa: Anatomy of a U-turn” in The Straits Times, 2 January, Singapore.
Appendix 7: Frances, J. (2002) “Ubin gets reprieve” in TODAY, 15 January, MediaCorp Press, Singapore.
Appendix 8: South East District (2002), “Nature at Its Best” in Contact, 27 March, Singapore.
Appendix 9: Lum, S. (2003), “Chek Jawa: Nature as Model Teacher” in Nature Watch,
Appendix 10: Sivasothi, N. (2002) “Chek Jawa – Lost Forever?” in Chek Jawa HomePage
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Appendix 1
Lim, L. (2001) “Pulling together to turn the tide for Chek Jawa” in The Straits Times, 29 December, Singapore Press Holdings, Singapore.
Pulling together to turn the tide for Chek Jawa Lydia Lim, the Straits Times, 29 Dec 01 On-line version on Straits Times Interactive
This year, some nature-loving members of the public found and helped save a beautiful beach on Pulau Ubin called Chek Jawa. Our correspondent traces how their efforts led to a rare policy U-turn in Singapore.
It was by chance that botanist Joseph Lai, 41, stumbled on the lagoon and sand bars of Tanjung Chek Jawa in January. He was acting as a volunteer guide for some students from Raffles Girls' School, who were exploring the coastal forests in the area. They just happened to be there when the tide was low, and he remembers that the richness of the marine habitat left him 'speechless with wonder'.
A few weeks later, he learned that the beach at the eastern tip of Pulau Ubin was to be reclaimed. 'This time, I was shocked,' he recalls.
In May, during a public forum organised by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) to discuss land use, he made an impassioned plea to the Government to save Chek Jawa.
It was at the forum, chaired by National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, that the issue was aired in public for the first time. 'I sincerely believe that there are a lot of people who, like me, care for the nature areas left in Singapore. 'Since I know about Chek Jawa, the most natural thing for me to do is to share the knowledge that there is a wonderful marine habitat here,' he told Insight in an email reply.
At that point, few people knew about Chek Jawa's sand and mud flats, rich with sand dollars and other types of starfish, sea horses and octopi, or its sea-grass meadows that harbour carpet and peacock anemones, or the coral rubble that is home to sponges of various hues.
Chek Jawa is actually a collection of six distinct habitats - coastal forest, mangrove, sandy beach, sand and mud flats, coral rubble and a tiny island called Pulau Sekudu, or Frog Island. It is unique because all these different habitats are clustered in an area just 1 sq km in size.
Even members of the Nature Society were new to the site, having discovered it only at the end of last year. It was like finding 'a rich family heirloom secreted among your junk', says the society's president, Dr Geh Min.
Since then, Dr Geh has been reflecting on how the group's members could have missed this treasure. 'Our marine sub-group members were more focused on coral reefs, they were used to diving for what they wanted to see. 'The terrestrial people were aware that Ubin has valuable mangrove swamps and bird life... I guess you
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14 could say it was a case of over-specialisation,' she notes wryly. As a result, no one from the society alerted the National Development Ministry to the significance of Chek Jawa as a nature area.
Back in 1992, the Government approved plans to reclaim the beach and other parts of Pulau Ubin to create 'reserve land' that would eventually be used for military training. By the time Mr Lai spoke up at the public forum, it was just six months before reclamation was due to start last month.
Time was running out for Chek Jawa. The action was fast and furious in the next few months as marine biologists, research officers and lay people descended on Chek Jawa to survey its bio-diversity, collect specimens and photograph the area.
The National Parks Board (NParks) asked Dr Tan Koh Siang and other marine biologists from the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Tropical Marine Science Institute for their input. They reported that Chek Jawa was indeed unique, and one of the few estuarine eco-systems left here.
Dr Tan adds: 'There are several organisms that are unique to the existing ecosystems that we have, such as the large starfish of the genus Protoreaster. 'The main attraction is the sea grass; I have not seen that in such abundance anywhere else in Singapore.'
At the same time, research officers from the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research embarked on a salvage operation, after they were alerted by NParks of the site's pending reclamation.
Located at NUS, the museum has one of the largest collections of South-east Asian fauna in the world. The officers launched three field expeditions – each lasting two days - in May, July and August. The aim was to collect samples that represented the site's bio-diversity. They thought it was their last chance to get such a record.
At the end of the field trips, research officer N. Sivasothi and some other volunteers decided that Chek Jawa was a secret that should be shared. So they invited more people there. 'We wanted to sow memories of the place and to teach people about their own heritage,' he says.
Through the museum's electronic newsletter, they announced that they would be holding two public education weekends, one in September and the other in October.
The response was overwhelming. About 1,000 people turned up for the October weekend, with the last visitor getting back to Changi jetty only at 10.30 pm on one night.
Spurred by their enthusiasm, the organisers decided to go one step further: They would document people's reactions during those visits and send them to the National Development Minister. They wanted the Government to know that many well-travelled Singaporeans who visited Chek Jawa said they never expected to find such a place in their own backyard. Mr Sivasothi and his friends also included their suggestions on how Chek Jawa could be turned into a marine park and how to manage the flow of visitors.
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At the same time, nature lovers, teachers and Pulau Ubin residents were writing to the press and the ministry, urging a review of the reclamation plans.
The appeals were not in the form of letters alone. The URA says that among the 30 appeals it received were CD-ROMs, field data and detailed reports on Chek Jawa's bio-diversity.
Dr Geh and Dr Chua Ee Kiam, author of several nature books including Pulau Ubin - Ours To Treasure, wrote to The Straits Times Forum page, while part-time lecturer and self-described social activist Nga Thio Ping came up with a petition and collected hundreds of signatures during his bicycle rides round Ubin.
The 53-year-old, who made 'six or seven' submissions to the ministry, recalls that things did not look promising even as late as September. In fact, the atmosphere at one public seminar about Pulau Ubin, held that month, was practically funereal.
'Everyone was very despondent. They were preparing for Chek Jawa's burial and saying, 'Better go and have a last look before they close the casket',' he notes.
The ministry told the interested parties to be patient.
Two months passed.
In November, Mr Nga went cycling on Ubin again and saw power cables, which he thought, were being laid in preparation for the reclamation.
On Dec 20, all the individuals who had spoken up, written in or submitted reports to the Government to urge the preservation of Chek Jawa received a surprise. They were invited for a closed-door meeting at the National Development Ministry, during which Mr Mah announced that Chek Jawa would not be reclaimed. Those who attended the meeting say Mr Mah also told them that the data they had sent in had helped. He asked them for more feedback on how to protect the marine life at Chek Jawa, given that other parts of Ubin would be reclaimed.
Some walked out of the two-hour meeting too stunned to say much.
Needless to say, all who attended were elated at the outcome. Many, including Mr Nga, had words of praise for the minister. 'Compliments to Mr Mah for taking a personal interest and undertaking a review of the initial decision to reclaim the site. I welcome this possibility of reversals and the entertaining of last-ditch attempts,' he told Insight.
When word got round via the Internet, some Singaporeans indulged in a rare show of exuberance. One posting on the Chek Jawa homepage, created by nature lover
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Ria Tan, reads: 'What a wonderful Christmas and New Year present from MND - even the starfish on the beach are smiling, I bet!'
The man who first turned the spotlight on Chek Jawa, Mr Joseph Lai, says the efforts of a whole range of individuals ensured the beach's survival. 'People made the difference. Ordinary people from all walks of life - families, students, teachers, nature lovers, government people, etc,' he says.
All of those interviewed agree that the groundswell of public support was a crucial factor.
They also credit the policy- makers for their eagerness to listen to other points of view, and for being curious enough to visit Chek Jawa and check it out for themselves. Among those who visited the site were Mr Mah, Brigadier-General (NS) Tan Yong Soon, the URA chief, and Dr Tan Wee Kiat, who heads NParks.
Marine biologist Tan Koh Siang lauds the willingness to consider views from different groups of people as 'a very important advancement'. 'We probably can't expect a similar decision to be made every time we make noise, but I think this is one habitat that is quite unique and, hopefully, we'll be able to protect it,' he says.
Dr Geh argues that Chek Jawa's potential to benefit future generations is precisely what differentiates it from the old National Library building, which many members of the public had also fought to save.
'The approach is essentially pragmatic rather than sentimental. I don't think that government policy has changed since the National Library. 'I think they are thinking of how they can benefit future generations,' she says.
In the case of the library, the main reason for people wanting to keep it was their many 'happy associations' with the building, notes the granddaughter of late philanthropist Lee Kong Chian, who donated money to build the library as a gift to the people of Singapore. 'I don't think this Government gives in to public sentiment just for public sentiment's sake,' she says matter-of-factly.
With Chek Jawa, the reasons for protecting it extend beyond nostalgia.
The area's marine bio-diversity means it has something to offer future generations of Singaporeans in terms of education, recreation and scientific research.
Mr Sivasothi thinks the rational discussion that evolved between non-government and government individuals also helped ensure a happy outcome. 'On conservation issues, examples from overseas tend to be confrontational.'
'Here, we have evolved a more discursive approach. It was very civilised, less emotional - everyone presented the facts,' he says. Chek Jawa, he says, is a flagship of what can be achieved through public feedback.
This gives an added dimension to a site already so rich naturally. Says Dr Geh: 'When you go there, you can feel that you helped to save it.'
A FINGER ON THE PULSE
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'The Government listens...but people must speak up! I have always believed that just as people are the soul of a nation, nature areas are the pulse of a landscape.
They never fail to invite us to ask the 'big' questions about life, family, home and country.'
Botanist Joseph Lai, 41, the first person to make the issue of Chek Jawa public when he raised it at a forum in May
LESSONS IN THE DIRT
'This is a rich teaching ground for students. If we don't have actual sites for them to get their hands dirty, they will only study science from their personal computers and we won't get the kind of scientists we need.'
Part-time lecturer Nga Thio Ping, 53, who wrote a petition and collected hundreds of signatures on bicycle rides round Pulau Ubin
TRULY A PUBLIC BEACH
'Chek Jawa is like an icon of the effectiveness of public consultation. When you go there, you can feel that you helped to save it.'
Dr Geh Min President of the Nature Society of Singapore
A LANDMARK YEAR
'This has been an amazing year, not just because of Chek Jawa but also the gazetting of two new nature reserves at Labrador Park and Sungei Buloh. Space is such a crazy issue here but the Government is trying to do what it can.'
Mr N. Sivasothi Research officer at the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research
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Appendix 2
Habitat News (2002) “Media Articles on Chek Jawa: Reclamation of Chek Jawa Deferred”, in Chek Jawa HomePage
Deferment of reclamation works at Pulau Ubin Ministry of National Development press release, 14 Jan 02
1. The Ministry of National Development (MND) has decided to put off the land reclamation works at Pulau Ubin for as long as the island is not required for development. This will allow Chek Jawa to be retained in its natural state. The rustic nature of Pulau Ubin will be preserved for as long as possible. The long term planning intention for Pulau Ubin remains as stated in the Concept Plan 2001.
2. The reclamation works at Chek Jawa was originally scheduled to begin in Dec 2001. Since the middle of 2001, nature groups and individuals with special interest in Chek Jawa have highlighted the rich biodiversity of the area and provided insightful feedback.
3. On 20 December 2001, MND announced the interim decision to defer the reclamation to study how the reclamation profile at Pulau Ubin could be modified such that the marine life at Chek Jawa would not be adversely affected.
4. A team made up of experts from the National Institute of Education, the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and other interested individuals submitted a report which highlighted that in order to ensure the survival of the marine ecosystems at Chek Jawa, reclamation works on Pulau Ubin should be put off.
5. The Nature Society, in a report coordinated by its conservation committee, came to the same conclusion. Both reports ascertained that if reclamation must be carried out, it should be limited to only a very small area of Pulau Ubin in order not to harm the fragile ecosystems at Chek Jawa.
6. MND has assessed that it is not cost-effective to reclaim such a small area and has therefore decided not to proceed with reclamation works at Pulau Ubin for as long as the island is not required for development. Managing Chek Jawa
7. In order to protect the marine life at Chek Jawa, NParks is setting up a committee comprising representatives from the Nature Society, Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and other experts to work out a comprehensive plan to maintain Chek Jawa’s unique ecosystem for the continued enjoyment of all.
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8. Among other things, the committee will look into the provision of appropriate amenities like board-walks and trained guides. Research and surveys will also be conducted to monitor the health and condition of the marine flora and fauna at Chek Jawa.
Conclusion
9. Minister for National Development says, “Land in Singapore is scarce. There will always be competing needs for land for development and national security needs. The decision not to reclaim Pulau Ubin at the moment has been made only after we have weighed the trade-offs and carefully considered the land use implications. This episode is a positive example of consultation and collaboration between the Ministry and the stakeholders which has resulted in a win-win situation. The Government will continue to take a balanced and pragmatic approach to land use planning.”
MINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT 14 January 2002 Media queries: Mr Soo Siew Keong Assistant Director/Public Affairs, Ministry of National Development
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Appendix 3
Streats (2002) “Chek Jawa saved for at least 10 years”, 15 January, Singapore.
Chek Jawa saved for at least 10 years Streats, 15 Jan 02
The picture of innocent wonder on a little boy's face was what finally turned the tide for Chek Jawa and saved it from bulldozers, after months of lobbying by nature conservation groups.
National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said so himself yesterday when his ministry announced that Chek Jawa beach will remain intact for at least 10 years.
On a recent visit to the beach in Pulau Ubin, Mr Mah observed, "At one point, there was something that I saw which struck me, and that was a family...a young boy with his father. The father was picking up a starfish and explaining something to the son.
"And there was this sense of wonder in the face of the boy. It struck me that what we are doing...is for our children. We are really custodians of this land for future generations."
The original plan was to create 3,000ha of land at Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong. Now the Government will forgo about 270ha of land slated for military use—all to save Chek Jawa beach, a haven for marine life.
A committee comprising members of NParks, the Nature Society, Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and marine experts will be set up to research and protect the marine life at Chek Jawa.
But Mr Mah said that those lobbying to save the National Library building have no chance in getting the Government to shelve its plans.
Said Mr Mah, "National Library is about the past. (With) Chek Jawa, probably we are talking about the future."
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Appendix 4
Chia, H. K. (2002) “Government defers land reclamation at Pulau Ubin” in Channel News Asia (TV), 14 January, MediaCorp, Singapore.
Government defers land reclamation at Pulau Ubin by Chia Hui Kheng on Channel News Asia, 14 Jan 02 On-line version on Channel News Asia (Singapore)
The government is putting off land reclamation at Pulau Ubin for as long as the island is not required for development.
A statement by the National Development Ministry said the decision would allow the marine life at Chek Jawa to be retained and preserved in its natural state for as long as possible.
It added that the National Parks Board will set up a committee to work out a comprehensive plan to maintain Chek Jawa's ecosystem.
The Ministry said it made the decision after assessing reports submitted by the Nature Society and experts from the National Institute of Education, the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and other interested individuals. These groups had recommended that if reclamation is to go ahead, it should be carried out on only a small part of Chek Jawa. But the Ministry said reclaiming such a small area was not cost effective. Land reclamation work was to have begun at the end of last year, but the Ministry deferred it to consult experts on how best to protect the marine life there following public feedback.
In fact, when National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan and senior government officials visited Chek Java last October, they were struck by the sight of families exploring the marine life in the area.
Mr Mah said: "That made me realise that we're not talking about saving this for the animals, we're saving it for our people. "We're making decisions for the future, we have to make very careful decisions, that's when we decided to consider the options."
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Appendix 5
Chong, C. L. (2002) “Citizen Involvement in Chek Jawa” in NewsRadio 93.8 (Radio), 4 January, MediaCorp, Singapore
Citizen Involvement in Chek Jawa Transcript of news report by Chong Ching Liang First broadcast on Newsradio 93.8 on 4 Jan 02, 7.20am
Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong has called for greater social cohesion and citizen involvement in the governance of the country. Prior to Mr Goh's speech, many other leaders have spoken and many feature articles written about this need as well.
In the literal backwaters of Singapore, a place named Tanjung Chek Jawa may yet prove to be the chrysalis for this much hoped-for civil society.
Hi welcome to In Your Neighbourhood with me, Chong Ching Liang. This week, we look at how this obscure corner of Pulau Ubin was rescued. Public works and plans aren't made overnight. Usually these plans are made way in advance, sometimes over a decade beforehand. But unfortunately, these plans are sometimes announced nondescriptly and their implications skip right past people until it's too late.
That seems to be what happened with the soon-to-be-demolished National Library building in Stamford Road.
When Singaporeans discovered the National Library was really to be torn down, there was a frenzy. Letter after letter was sent in to the media and government offices in the hope that a stay of execution would be granted. But to no avail. That refreshing burst of civic energy yielded nothing. The cynics feared the disillusioned masses would give up on civil society.
But wait! A little treasure trove of biodiversity in Pulau Ubin has now restored some modicum of faith.
Biologist N. Sivasothi, a researcher with the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity.
"So at the eleventh hour, the very exciting news that came out of this press release was they want to protect the marine life. They have suddenly said 'Okay! We have received a lot of input from the public and from groups and from individuals, lets examine their concerns. Let's see how we can work this out.' "
Chek Jawa is granted a stay of execution. How valuable is the place?
President of the Nature Society of Singapore, Dr Geh Min said "Yes, well, it's not as valuable to nature. Its valuable to everyone in Singapore. Its the very very rich biodiversity of this area. Probably the only one of its kind left.
Unless we discover another one, which is highly unlikely."
The shorelines of land scarce Singapore have been significantly altered by reclamation and its lucrative port trade. In Chek Jawa, microcosms of marine life that used to dot Singapore coastline have miraculously survived, a breathing time capsule.
Dr Geh Min said, "It's got many different habitats there and they're all relatively unspoilt. It's got sand and mud flats, its got mangrove, it's got rocky shore. All of these habitats are
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23 home to, oh! Its such a rich diversity of marine life I can't begin to describe it. Just standing there and looking around, you you just see so much. "
Nature Society has played a pivotal role as the non-governmental organisation representing nature lovers, but Dr Geh Min refuses to take all the credit.
"Well of course we would like to take some credit but I really think that this is an example of how quickly and how sensitively the government responded to publicly feedback. And of course, Nature Society and other NGOs are public voice."
Unlike a couple of years ago, this time round, the public outpouring of love and affection managed to save a nation's heritage.
Dr Geh ruminates on what worked this time.
"Well, there would be two decisive factors. One, it was really the realisation of the rich biodiversity which they actually took the trouble to go down and see for themselves, including I believe, the Minister himself and many of the top decision makers. But the second factor was the fact that the public, and I am not just talking about the NGOs and nature groups, I am talking about individual members of the public. There was obviously so much interest in the area and of course the media help."
The biggest lift that the save-Chek Jawa campaigners received is the unexpected support even from non-nature buffs.
"Just looking at some of the photos made everyone wants to rush down to that place and they did. And the government is very sensitive to this. They realise that Singaporeans enjoy nature, place a lot of value in it. Apparently, this cause the change in decision to reclaim the land."
Ironically, the mad rush to Chek Jawa is caused by Singaporeans thinking it's their last chance to see the place. For Chek Jawa, its existence is still under threat but at least, experts are being sought out now to maximise its survival.
"Yes, I think they are moving the reclamation further west but this is still, I believe, open to feedback and recommendation and they will be consulting. It's still an on-going process from what I understand from the next two weeks. Anyone who has a reasonable opinion on how best to proceed with the reclamation so as not to damage Chek Jawa, is free to give their two cents worth."
Is Chek Jawa worth all the effort?
Biologist Sivasothi said, "Some of us, I mean, we have been cracking our brains, have we seen a place like this in Malaysia? We are not sure yet. You know? So it's interestingly unique, and of course for Singapore, it's practically a national treasure."
It is a treasure in more ways than just being a nature reserve. Chek Jawa now is the metaphor for what Singaporeans can achieve if they activate their sense of civic duty.
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Appendix 6
Chua L. H. (2002) “Chek Jawa: Anatomy of a U-turn” in The Straits Times, 2 January, Singapore.
Chek Jawa: Anatomy of a U-turn Chua Lee Hoong, the Straits Times, 2 Jan 02
It was a day the Government showed itself open to the merits of persuasive argument from citizens
Some years ago, hearing, accurately or not, that Pulau Sekudu was to be blasted out of existence, I rustled up a group of friends to pay a final homage to the tiny island off Pulau Ubin. It was no more than a rock outcrop, really, and at high tide, our canoes—we had come by sea from Changi—manoeuvred in and out among the mangroves easily as we dallied amid what we thought was a sight we would not be seeing for long.
So it has been with more than casual interest that I have been following the saga of Chek Jawa, that eastern tip of Pulau Ubin which I now know is where Pulau Sekudu nestles. I have never thought of the area as a beach, far less known about the treasure trove of marine lift it contains. Sand dollar? Carpet anemones? Sand stars? These are new terms I have added to my vocabulary in recent weeks.
The saga has been fascinating, and a testament to how far Singapore has come.
Ten years ago, I doubt there would have been that much public sympathy for the conservationists. The few Singaporeans who felt strongly about Chek Jawa's preservation would have fought a lonesome battle, their voices lost in a wilderness of booming economic growth and the pursuit of more immediate material gratification.
Today, however, public support has been generous. Mr Nga Thio Ping, a part-time lecturer, managed to collect hundreds of signatures for his petitions to the Government, urging a rethink of the plan, conceived 10 years ago, to pile on the sand to turn Chek Jawa into solid land that can be used for military training.
He got his wish in time for Christmas. Just days before reclamation was due to begin, the Ministry of National Development announced that Chek Jawa would be saved. The ministry "had carefully considered all public submissions" and done "extensive consultations" among government agencies and marine-life experts.
It was a classic civil-service understatement for what was in effect a major policy U-turn.
As recently as in July, in a letter published in this newspaper, the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) had reiterated its stand in favour of reclamation, arguing that government agencies had done studies of the marine life in the area and found nothing seriously at risk from reclamation.
The National Parks Board, it added, was working on transplanting plants affected by the reclamation work to other parts of the island.
So why they change? Perhaps the sea creatures worked their charms on National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan and his staff when they visited the mud flats recently. More specifically, perhaps it was was the dugong, the otter-like sea mammal which some say is the original of the mermaid.
Perhaps the strength of public opinion contributed to the change. Singaporeans are
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25 becoming more environmentally-conscious—a survey by the Singapore Environmental Council in June confirmed the trend. If so, the Dec 20 switch in policy was merely official thinking keeping step with public sentiment.
Or perhaps it was the merits of the case itself. Very little is lost, after all, by preserving Chek Jawa, and much to be gained.
The Ministry of Defence is not in immediate need of land for military training. Its collaboration with armed forces elsewhere has yielded many alternative sites.
On the positive side, as members of the Nature Society have taken pains to point out, Chek Jawa offers scope for a wide range of activities.
The area is a "natural outdoor classroom" which may be used to value-add to the school curriculum, said Dr Vilma D'Rozario of the society in a letter published in this newspaper last week. "Opportunities abound for multi-disciplinary, collaborative project work, learning, observing, experimenting, analysing, synthesising, applying and hypothesising". Then there is the area's potential for research in biomedicine and life sciences.
As Ms Gwee Jin Eng wrote in the Business Times on Nov 5, arguing for the "bioprospecting" potential of Chek Jawa: "Because of the numerous species of coastal marine life, prospecting holds great promise for generating million or even billion of dollars of income in future through patents and sales of useful chemical and other substances discovered at Chek Jawa". Her argument was probably a winner, given that life sciences dominate the policymaking horizon these days.
Beyond personal sentiments, public opinion and the future uses of Chek Jawa however, I would like to think of DEC 20 in another way: It was not so much about a policy turn- around but a turning point in the relationship between state and civil society.
It was a day the Government proved itself responsive to public feedback, a day it showed itself open to the merits of persuasive argument from citizens.
It was a victory for civil society but, with the many public commendations heaped on the ministry in its aftermath, it was also a sweet day for the Government. This, surely, is a what a win-win is all about.
On the part of Chek Jawa activists, they showed how to make their case and win it.
On the Internet, in the newspapers and in public forums, these concerned
Singaporeans pleaded their cause, passionately but rationally and with civility at all times.
They were creative and diligent in their work: The URA says for instance that among the 30 appeals it received were CD-ROM, field data and detailed reports on Chek Jawa's bio- diversity.
On the part of the policy-makers, they showed themselves open to new facts and arguments. They did not allow themselves to be bound by past policy. When it made more sense to change, they changed.
The change gains greater significance in the light of Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong's announcement this week about the setting up of a new committee to look into how to remake Singapore politically, socially and culturally.
If Chek Jawa is anything to go by, it gives hope to all civil-society players who have ever advocated some policy change or other. Meanwhile, it's time for another canoe-trip.
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Appendix 7
Frances, J. (2002) “Ubin gets reprieve” in TODAY, 15 January, MediaCorp Press, Singapore.
TODAY Jan 15, 2002 Ubin gets reprieve by Joy Frances
While offshore islands like Pulau Semakau and Sentosa have fallen under the developer's bulldozer, Pulau Ubin has escaped urbanisation.
Yesterday, the Ministry of National Development (MND) decided that all reclamation work was to be deferred on the 1,019 hectare island enclave.
This was to protect the "fragile ecosystems" at the now-famous mudflat Tanjong Chek Jawa, said the MND in a statement.
The ministry said the decision came after assessing reports submitted by the Nature Society, as well as experts from the National Institute of Education, the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research and other interested individuals.
"Reports ascertained that if reclamation must be carried out, it should be limited to only a very small area of Pulau Ubin in order not to harm the fragile ecosystems at Chek Jawa", said the MND.
It explained that the reclamation of such a "small" area was not cost effective and it would put its plans on hold.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) 2001 Concept Plan had shown a road running from mainland Singapore to Pulau Tekong and through eastern Pulau Ubin. Housing and recreational development were also part of the plan.
What probably halted all redevelopment works was the public concern that came after the URA said reclamation work was to start on Chek Jawa at the end of last year. Mindef was planning to use the mudflat at the island's eastern tip for its "training needs".
Nature lovers were worried that the rustic island would be transformed into "another Pulau Tekong", an offshore island used by Mindef for training.
The movement to save Chek Jawa resulted in the Government's decision last month to reconsider its plans for the 50-hectare beach.
National Development Minister Mr Mah Bow Tan said yesterday that Singaporeans were custodians of the land for future generations. The minister said he had seen families appreciating the marine life at the beach.
So are nature lovers appeased by the MND's latest decision?
Mr N Sivasothi, a research officer at the Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, thinks the result was a good one, saying: "The government cannot make promises for the next 100 years."
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Appendix 8
South East District (2002), “Nature at Its Best” in Contact, 27 March, Singapore.
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Appendix 9
Lum, S. (2003), “Chek Jawa: Nature as Model Teacher” in Nature Watch,
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Appendix 10
Sivasothi, N. (2002) “Chek Jawa – Lost Forever?” in Chek Jawa HomePage
A short drive back in time Uncle Chu's van jostles through an old quarry road in the darkness and past long-abandoned rubber plantations. Disembarking, we stumble through a path peppered with a well and wild boar footprints, through the ruins of an old wooden house and jetty which used to belong to the family of Uncle Chu's wife. Reaching the shore, we fan out under the starry sky over the exposed lagoon of sea grass, sand and mud flats hemmed in by sand bars, rocky shores, beaches and mangroves.
We have arrived at Chek Jawa, and in a few steps, have stepped back in time to Singapore in the 70's.
In the early hours of the cool dawn, the shoreline is bursting with crabs, worms, octopi, sand dollars, sea stars, bristle stars, sea grass, molluscs, barnacles, algae, sea anemones, sponges, sea cucumber and fish. A precious and incredible scene in 21st century Singapore, nestled away in the far reaches of the eastern end of Pulau Ubin, an island situated off the north-east of the main island.
The visitors savour what is one of the first and last visits to Chek Jawa. The coast has been scheduled for reclamation after the government's Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA)
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30 issued the Concept Plan of 1991. Recent concessions to the island environment of Pulau Ubin in the revised Concept Plan of 2001 have not spared the intertidal zone.
Reclamation since the beginning Reclamation activity began with the history of modern Singapore (mangroves in the Singapore River were amongst the first to go) continuing to the present day. From the 1960's to the early 1990's, land reclamation increased the original land area of Singapore by one-tenth, altering most of the southern and north-eastern coasts and six reservoirs were formed by damming rivers draining to the north and west coasts in the early 70';s and 80's. Modern Singapore is a product of massive changes such as these.
Singapore's population density is greater than 6,000 per square kilometer, more than Hong Kong's and only exceeded by Macao and Monaco. The URA Concept Plan 2001 proposes the possible land use model for the country, and is based on a population of 5.5 million by 2040 - a 37.5% increase. Yet reclamation will only increase land area by another 15 per cent.
Faced with facts like these, is there any place in Singapore for nature areas? Few envy the URA's responsibility, so how do we rationalise this with our way of life?
Dominic Nathan discussed "when and how do we determine that there is a need to encroach into a nature area" in 1999. He suggested that "options are very much restricted by existing planning guidelines and inertia on the part of major developers in both the public and private sectors." The Ministries of Environment and Defense, he pointed out, found novel approaches (including going underground) to recover land reserved for military uses, airports and sewerage treatment plants.
Architect Tay Kheng Soon had apparently suggested utilising the space over expressways, occupying 5 per cent of the total land space. This could release 3,225 ha., which conservative calculations suggest a housing potential some 645,000 people. Significant when you realise this works out a potential capacity greater than that provided by the reclamation of both Pulau Ubin and Pulau Tekong.
He then points out that unanswered suggestions such as these lead to "nature lovers concluding that when mangroves are filled in and trees cut down, it is because the authorities have taken the easy option." so what's the fuss about?>>
This article appeared in Asian Geographic: Journal of our Environment (Sep-Oct 01 issue) ©All images appearing on these pages are the exclusive property of Alan Yeo and are protected under international copyright laws. The images may not be reproduced, copied, stored, or manipulated without the written permission of Alan Yeo. These images are not within Public Domain. Use of any image as the basis for another photographic concept or illustration is a violation of copyright. Please contact Alan Yeo to obtain reproduction rights to any of these images.
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Chia, H. K. (2002) “Government defers land reclamation at Pulau Ubin” in Channel News Asia (TV), 14 January, MediaCorp, Singapore.
Chong, C. L. (2002) “Citizen Involvement in Chek Jawa” in NewsRadio 93.8 (Radio), 4 January, MediaCorp, Singapore.
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