In response to questions from Member of Parliament Tan Wu Meng (PAP-Jurong) on cases of electronic waste in Clement Forest and other green spaces, Ms Sim said there have been two instances of feedback on improper disposal of bulky electronic waste in forested areas and which the agencies acted on from January 2021 to March this year.
She noted that the illegal dumping of electronic and other waste in public places is an offence under the Environmental Public Health Act.
Addressing a question about the potential learning points from the case involving the fridge in Clementi Forest, Ms Sim said “lapses in communication and coordination between agencies sometimes occur”.
“MSO has been working with stakeholder agencies to strengthen inter-agency coordination, and this includes NParks and NEA,” she added.
This is done through staff training to ensure that feedback involving multiple agencies is referred correctly through the inter-agency feedback management system.
According to Ms Sim, agencies are also requested to close straightforward cases only when any works on the ground have been completed.
“MSO will continue to help our partner agencies in attaining a high level of responsiveness to public feedback,” Ms Sim said.
She added that Clementi Forest is currently not intended for public recreational use and encouraged people to keep to the designated trails within public parks and nature parks for their own safety, and to minimise impact on the natural environment.