PETALING JAYA: The water issue between Malaysia and Singapore could have been resolved if he had been given enough time as Prime Minister, says Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
The former premier said that the longstanding issue of selling raw water to Singapore at three sen per 1,000 gallons for 61 years could have been resolved if firm action had been taken during negotiations to settle on a new price.
The 1962 Johor River Water Agreement stipulates that 250 million gallons of raw water would be sold to Singapore at three sen per gallon for 100 years (ending in 2061). In return, Malaysia can buy back treated water at 50 sen per 1,000 gallons.
In the 1990s, the government found the rate too low and tried to renegotiate with Singapore.
“Singapore was adamant and imposed tough conditions which led to the failure of several negotiations during my time as the prime minister,” said Dr Mahathir in an exclusive interview with Sinar Harian.
“I met with former Singapore Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Chok Tong many times and tried to negotiate (for a higher price), but they stubbornly refused.
“They said if the water issue is to be solved, all other issues must also be negotiated and solved, which was impossible,” he said.
Dr Mahathir said that according to his calculations, at the current rate, Malaysia has “subsidised” Singapore RM39mil a year or RM2.4bil in the last 61 years (1962 to 2023).
However, many criticised the former premier, saying he did not solve the issue despite being Prime Minister twice.
In 2000, Dr Mahathir raised the issue during negotiations with Singapore, but no concrete solution was reached.
Singapore has invested heavily in water infrastructure and emphasised maintaining the present price.
When he became Prime Minister again in 2018, Dr Mahathir began another negotiation, but no agreement was reached.
