Malaysia, Singapore begin ‘breakthrough’ water negotiations
The water agreement is one of eight matters up for negotiation with Singapore.
KLANG: Malaysia and Singapore have started negotiations on the review of the price of raw water supplied by the country to the island republic.
Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said the talks, which started last month, were being headed by Attorney-General Tommy Thomas and his Singaporean counterpart, Lucien Wong.
Describing the talks as important “since, before this, we could not sit at a table on the issue”, Saifuddin said several meetings would take place.
“Discussions on the water agreement between Malaysia and Singapore have already started. We have eight matters up for negotiation with Singapore and the water agreement is one of them,” he told reporters after visiting the Rohingya Education Centre (REC) here today.
Asked about Singapore’s response, he said it was too early to draw any conclusions but the fact that the negotiations have started was a step forward.
On Sunday, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was reported as saying that Saifuddin would head the Malaysian delegation on the water talks.
Without revealing details, Mahathir said a team of Malaysian officials “were on it” and they included representatives from Johor, the state supplying raw water to Singapore.
The water agreement cropped up in the middle of last year when Mahathir criticised the price of raw water to Singapore, saying it “did not make sense” and he planned to negotiate a review of the terms.
The agreement, which expires in 2061, gives Singapore the right to source 250 million gallons a day (mgd) of raw water from Sungai Johor (the Johor River).
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram
Singapore pays 3 sen per thousand gallons of raw water, and sells treated water back to Johor at 50 sen per thousand gallons.