WE THANK Mr Tin Chee Yee ('Let's be prepared') and Mr Lee Kek
Chin ('Set up crisis communication site') for their letters on
Monday.
Following a study in 2008, the National Environment Agency (NEA)
informed the public that there was a low probability of Singapore
being affected by a tsunami, as the country is sheltered by the
surrounding land masses. The shallow waters in the Malacca Strait
and South China Sea will significantly slow down the propagation
and dissipate the energy of a tsunami before it reaches
Singapore.
The potential impact on Singapore will therefore be minimal.
Notwithstanding this, NEA has implemented an early warning
system to closely monitor the occurrence of earthquakes and
tsunamis.
A multi-agency tsunami response plan is also in place to
coordinate the responses of the relevant government agencies.
In the event a tsunami is assessed to potentially affect
Singapore, NEA will issue advisories and warnings to the public via
media channels. As part of its contingency planning, Singapore also
participates regularly in international tsunami response exercises
to test and fine-tune our operational readiness. Inter-agency
exercises are conducted regularly.
For the Japan crisis, the Singapore Government has established a
micro-site on www.gov.sg as a one-stop information
portal for the public. This site provides useful information and
frequently asked questions.
The micro-site is also available through the www.gov.sg apps on the iPhone and
Android phones, as well as the www.gov.sg mobile site.
Patricia Ee (Ms)
Acting Director
Operational Services Department
Meteorological Services
National Environment Agency
K. Bhavani (Ms)
Director
Public Communications Division
Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts
