Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) has stopped all its water-based activities.

This is in light of the illegal chemical dumping incident at Pasir Gudang, Johor, which has closed down 111 schools, according to news reports.

OBS is an outdoor educational institution that conducts outdoor activities for students and youths at its campus in Pulau Ubin.

The National Youth Council (NYC) told The New Paper on March 14 that it had directed OBS to take “active precautions” by ceasing sea-based activities, prioritising the safety of participants.

No impact on water and air in Singapore

NYC’s decision comes on the same day that several government agencies released a joint statement saying that the chemical incident in Pasir Gudang had not impacted water and air quality in Singapore.

The statement, which was released by the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), National Environment Agency (NEA), the Public Utilities Board (PUB), and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), stated that “the affected area is outside of the Johor River catchment, and there is no impact on Singapore’s water supply”.

Authorities will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates to the public.

No national state of emergency yet

While Singaporean agencies are taking these precautions, Malaysia has yet to declare a national state of emergency despite the severity of the situation.

According to Channel NewsAsia, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad said: "No... it has not reached that stage (where an emergency has to be declared). There is no need for any evacuation, but we must be careful".

The same report also noted that so far, 2,700 people in Malaysia have been affected.

Top photo from Outward Bound Singapore Facebook