Asia
Former Ambassador-at-Large Bilahari Kausikan also suggested that Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is raising the water issue only as a diversionary tactic in preparation to ask for a waiver or reduction of the compensation due to Singapore if Malaysia formally cancels the high-speed rail project.
File photo: Water pipelines (R) run across the causeway between Singapore and Malaysia’s Johor Bahru. (AFP/ROSLAN RAHMAN)
SINGAPORE: Legally binding positions are important to keep things professional and impartial, said Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin.
He posted the comment on Facebook on Tuesday (Jun 26) after Malaysia Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said on Monday that his government needs to renegotiate the water supply agreement with Singapore describing it as “too costly”.
The 1962 Water Agreement is an agreement guaranteed by both governments in the 1965 Separation Agreement which was registered with the United Nations.
The terms of the agreement give Singapore full and exclusive rights to draw up to a maximum of 250 million gallons (mgd) of water per day from the Johore River.
In return, Johor is entitled to buy treated water of up to 2 per cent of the raw water extracted by Singapore on any given day, or about 5 mgd if Singapore draws its full entitlement of water from the Johor River. Singapore pays 3 sen per thousand gallons of raw water and sells treated water to Johor at 50 sen per thousand gallons.
In a Channel NewsAsia interview, Dr Mahathir called the price of water being sold to Singapore is “ridiculous”.
“I think it is manifestly ridiculous that we should sell water at 3 sen per thousand gallons. That was okay way back in the 1990s or 1930s. But now what can you buy with 3 sen? Nothing,” he told Channel NewsAsia in an exclusive interview.
In his Facebook post, Mr Tan said: “As a friend and neighbour, we do what we can. But being friendly and supportive doesn’t mean that we should accede to whims and fancies to show sincerity.
“When one wants his way and doesn’t get it, it isn’t because we aren’t friendly. It’s because it needs to be fair, equitable and consistent for our people. That’s the basis on which equals conduct business.”
A DIVERSIONARY TACTIC
In his Facebook post on Monday, former Ambassador-at-Large Bilahari Kausikan suggested that Prime Minister Mahathir is raising the water issue only as a diversionary tactic in preparation for asking for a waiver or reduction of the compensation due to Singapore if Malaysia formally cancels the high-speed rail project between the two countries.
Mr Kausikan is also a former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said Dr Mahathir’s “intention is to make the Singapore government look unreasonable hoping, first, that Singaporeans will pressure our government on his behalf, and, second, to set up an alibi with his own people.”
The Malaysian Prime Minister “knows full well that the price of water was set by an international agreement under the terms of which Malaysia also buys treated water from Singapore at a low price, and buys considerably more than it is entitled to buy under the terms of the agreement”, Mr Bilahari added.
He said Malaysia would not agree to the terms of the agreement unless it is getting a good deal.
“We have gone through this umpteen times when he was last PM. He knows we are not going to change our position,” Mr Bilahari said.
“The reason is simple: if we allow Malaysia to change the terms of solemn international agreements anytime the terms of the agreement become inconvenient to them, where will it end?”
“All this is out of Dr M’s standard play-book. Singaporeans should not be deceived. Good neighbourliness ought to be a two-way street,” Mr Bilahari added.
