Malaysia — Malaysia’s Minister of Environment and Water Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man said that talks between Singapore and Malaysia regarding the review of raw water prices will resume once the Covid-19 situation in both countries has “recovered completely.”
“The water issue between Malaysia and Singapore involves bilateral diplomatic relations between the two countries,” said Mr Tuan Ibrahim on Tuesday (Sept 21).
He was responding to a parliamentary question by Kuala Langat Member of Parliament Xavier Jayakumar, on the steps being taken by Putrajaya on the issue.
“Malaysia’s stance on the issue to review water prices is very clear and consistent, in which Malaysia has and retains the right to revise the price of raw water it sells to Singapore as stipulated under the 1962 Johor River Water Agreement,” said Mr Tuan Ibrahim.
He added that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is coordinating the matter.
The minister highlighted that both countries had been meeting to discuss the issue since July 2018. Officials had met on Dec 2, 2019, and Jan 30, 2020, to “discuss emerging issues relating to reviewing the price of raw water,” he said in a Channel News Asia report.
Under the 1962 Water Agreement expiring in 2061, Singapore can 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 which is a fraction of the cost for treating the water.
The issue of the price of water is under continuous debate, especially as “various Malaysian states have already charged more for raw water to their own fellow Malaysians,” said then Workers’ Party leader Pritam Singh in Parliament in March 2020.
When asked if there would be greater cooperation between the two countries in this regard, Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan highlighted that Malaysia lost the right to review the price of water under the 1962 Water Agreement.
“We had told Malaysia this as early as 2002 when Singapore last negotiated with Malaysia on water as part of a package deal. Malaysia cannot unilaterally revise the price of water. Our legal position remains unchanged,” said Dr Balakrishnan.
He also noted that a review of the price of raw water sold to Singapore also means reviewing the price of treated water sold to Johor.
In an earlier meeting in 2018 between Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loon and then Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, differing opinions on the right to review water prices were presented by the parties.
Meanwhile, Mr Tuan Ibrahim said on Tuesday that negotiations ceased only temporarily.
“Negotiations between the two governments on revising the price of water under the 1962 Johor River Water Agreement temporarily stopped due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.
“Discussions and negotiations will resume after the Covid-19 pandemic situation in Malaysia and Singapore have recovered completely,” he added. /TISG
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