Johor’s chief minister says there are plans to stop buying treated water from Singapore

FARIS MOKHTAR Today Online 1 Mar 19;

SINGAPORE — Malaysia’s state of Johor may stop relying on the treated water it buys from Singapore, Johor Chief Minister Osman Sapian said on Friday (March 1).

He added that there are plans to treat its own water although this is still in the early stages.

In a statement issued by Mr Osman’s office at about 5pm that was seen by TODAY, it was mentioned that he made those comments in a speech at the closing ceremony of a two-day Johor government retreat with the Federal Cabinet in Putrajaya. The event was also attended by Malaysia’s premier Mahathir Mohamad.

Mr Osman said in Malay: “I would like to touch slightly on the water issue with Singapore. I would like to say that there are plans not to rely anymore on Singapore to obtain treated water that we have been buying from them all these years.

“But this plan is still in its early stages and I cannot reveal further details at this point until we have finalised the plan.”

Mr Osman’s comments came hours after Singapore’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan issued a rebuttal in Parliament on Friday to Dr Mahathir’s comments made the day before on water prices.

Speaking at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Committee of Supply debate, Dr Balakrishnan said that he is leaving it to Singaporeans to decide whether Singapore has been “fair” or, as Dr Mahathir said, “morally wrong” in the pricing of water.

He pointed out that Dr Mahathir’s remarks were a “red herring” which sought to paint Singapore as a “rich nation” paying its poorer neighbour an “unreasonable rate” for water.

He said that Singapore and Malaysia “have chosen different fundamental philosophies of governance and taken different paths of development”.

Among other things, Singapore has provided a framework “where all our citizens strive to do our best and can achieve their potential by the dint of our efforts”, Dr Balakrishnan added. The country also has a zero-tolerance approach on corruption.

Moreover, Singapore honours its international agreements and commitments.

“I will let Members of the House and fellow Singaporeans outside decide for yourselves whether we have been ‘fair’ or, to quote Dr Mahathir, whether we have been ‘morally wrong’. I think the answer is obvious,” Dr Balakrishnan said.

On Thursday, Dr Mahathir said that it did not make sense for a wealthy country such as Singapore to still be buying water from Malaysia at such a low price of 3 sen for every 1,000 gallons.

Speaking at the retreat then, Dr Mahathir said that Singapore has grown rapidly because of Malaysia’s supply of water.

THE WATER AGREEMENT

Singapore buys water from Malaysia under water agreements signed in 1961 and 1962. The first expired in 2011 and the second will expire in 2061.

The pacts were guaranteed by the Malaysian government in the Separation Agreement that established Singapore as a sovereign state in 1965.

The 1962 water pact which will lapse in 2061 gives Singapore the right to buy 250 million gallons of water a day (1.14 million cubic metres) from the Johor River.

In return, Johor is entitled to buy back a daily supply of treated water from Singapore, up to 2 per cent of the raw water it supplied.

In 2001, Singapore agreed to Malaysia's proposal of paying 45 sen for raw water (up from 3 sen) until 2061. However, this agreement fell through when Malaysia came back with an even higher asking price — at one point, it rose 200-fold to RM6.25 for 1,000 gallons.


Johor says it plans to stop relying on Singapore for treated water
Channel NewsAsia 1 Mar 19;

JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor state government plans to be self-sufficient in treated water instead of relying on Singapore for the resource, said Chief Minister Osman Sapian said on Friday (Mar 1).

“We have a plan to be self-sufficient," said Mr Osman in a statement.

“But the matter is still at the planning stage and I cannot share the details at the moment until the plan is ready to be implemented."

The statement was issued after the Johor state government concluded a retreat session with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and his Cabinet ministers in Putrajaya.

Dr Mahathir had during the retreat on Thursday urged the Johor government and its people to speak up on what he described as the "morally wrong" water deal with Singapore, a "rich" nation.

“The state government must make their voices heard. The rich are depending on the poor?" Dr Mahathir said. "This is not only illogical but also morally wrong. We must put stress on this issue."

Under the 1962 Water Agreement, which expires in 2061, Singapore is entitled to draw up to 250 million gallons a day (mgd) of water from the Johor River.

Singapore pays 3 sen per thousand gallons of raw water and sells treated water back to Johor at 50 sen per thousand gallons, a fraction of the cost of treating the water.

Johor is meanwhile entitled to a daily supply of treated water of up to 2 per cent or 5 mgd of the water supplied to Singapore.

In practice, however, Singapore has been supplying 16 mgd of treated water to Johor at their request, Singapore's water agency PUB had said.

READ: Mahathir intended to rouse public opinion with 'strong, emotive words' on water: Vivian Balakrishnan
In response to Dr Mahathir's comments, Singapore's Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said in Parliament on Friday that the Malaysian prime minister's “strong, emotive words” on the water agreement were intended to rouse public opinion.

It was a "red herring", he added.

“The 1962 Water Agreement is not about who is richer or poorer," Dr Balakrishnan told the House. "It is about the fundamental principle of respecting the sanctity of agreements."

Last year, Dr Mahathir criticised the price of raw water sold to Singapore, saying it is "ridiculous" and that he planned to negotiate a review of the terms.

Dr Balakrishnan reiterated on Friday that Singapore's longstanding position is that neither country can unilaterally change the terms of the water agreement.

"In 1965, when Singapore was ejected from the Federation of Malaysia, we took the precaution of ensuring that the 1962 Water Agreement was guaranteed by the governments of both Malaysia and Singapore," Dr Balakrishnan explained. "It forms in effect part of our 1965 Separation Agreement."

"Any breach of the 1962 Water Agreement would call into question the Separation Agreement, and this Separation Agreement is the basis of our existence of an independent sovereign state.

"Therefore, Malaysia and Singapore must fully honour the terms of the 1962 Water Agreement, including the price of water stipulated in it," he said.

Source: Bernama/CNA/na(gs)


Johor plans to stop buying treated water from Singapore: Menteri Besar Osman Sapian
Straits Times 1 Mar 19;

JOHOR BARU - The Johor state government plans to be self-sufficient in treated water instead of relying on Singapore, Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian said on Friday (March 1) according to Malaysian media reports.

"We have a plan to be self-sufficient but that is still in the planning stage and cannot be divulged at the moment," Datuk Osman said after attending a special session with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Cabinet ministers in Putrajaya.

His comments came a day after Tun Dr Mahathir urged Johoreans to speak up on the "morally wrong" water deal between Malaysia and Singapore.

Under the 1962 Water Agreement, which expires in 2061, Singapore is entitled to draw up to 250 million gallons a day (mgd) of raw water from the Johor River at three sen per 1,000 gallons.

Johor is entitled to buy five mgd of treated water from Singapore at 50 sen per 1,000 gallons. Singapore has said this price is heavily subsidised and below the cost of treating the water. Singapore has, in practice, been supplying 16mgd of treated water at Johor’s request.

But Dr Mahathir said during the two-day meeting with Johor officials that “rich” Singapore had been benefiting from “poor” Malaysia on the water issue.

"I don't hear Johoreans talking about this," Dr Mahathir said on Thursday.

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad had asked how Singapore as "a rich nation" could pay "such an unreasonable rate" for raw water sold by Malaysia under the water pact when Malaysia was a poorer country by GDP per capita.

"They don't feel pressured and they are waiting for the federal government's negotiations on the matter."

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said on Friday the bilateral water agreement is not about who is richer or poorer but about the fundamental principle of respecting the sanctity of agreements.

The words Dr Mahathir used were "strong, emotive words, no doubt intended to rouse public opinion", said Dr Balakrishnan in Parliament.

Meanwhile Mr Osman also said on Friday that the meeting had achieved its objective of increasing cooperation between the state and federal governments.

"Many ideas and views were presented during the sessions," he was quoted as saying by The Star.