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Mr Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, Malaysia’s Minister of Environment and Water, said on Tuesday (Sept 21) that discussions between Malaysia and Singapore concerning water rights will resume when the pandemic situation in both countries has “recovered completely.”

The Environment and Water Minister said this in answer to a question in parliament from Kuala Langat Member of Parliament Xavier Jayakumar. 

Mr Tuan had been asked what steps the government was taking in addressing the issue.

In a written reply he said, “The water issue between Malaysia and Singapore involves bilateral diplomatic relations between the two countries. Therefore, this matter is being coordinated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.”

He underlined, however, Malaysia’s stand on the issue, which is, it has the right to change the selling price of water to Singapore under the 962 Johor River Water Agreement.

He added that the issue has been under discussion since July 2018, with meetings held on Dec 2, 2019, and Jan 30, 2020, to “discuss emerging issues relating to reviewing the price of raw water”.

The Minister said, “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. Discussions and negotiations will resume after the COVID-19 pandemic situation in Malaysia and Singapore have recovered completely.”

One of the last times the water issue was discussed in Parliament in Singapore was on Mar 2 of last year, during the Committee of Supply (COS) debate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).

Opposition leader Pritam Singh, the Secretary-General of the Workers’ Party (WP), addressed Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, asking for an update on bilateral issues, specifically the one concerning water.

Mr Pritam said then that the issue of the price of water would not die down anytime soon, particularly due to “various Malaysian states have already charged more for raw water to their own fellow Malaysians”.

Malaysia would also naturally put the interest of its own citizens first, should the water reserve threshold of Johor drop.

Mr Pritam said, “Such developments and the matter of greater water insecurity in Malaysia is likely to bring the headline figure we purchase raw water from Johor for three cents for every 1,000 gallons in the political spotlight more so than ever before.”

The WP leader added that the issue could be managed beneficially for both countries, given Singapore’s experience in water treatment and waste management, and reduce the possibility of tension between the neighbouring countries. He asked Dr Balakrishnan whether there is “scope for greater cooperation between Singapore and Malaysia in this regard”.

In response, the Foreign Affairs Minister repeated the stand of the Singaporean government that Malaysia lost the right to review the price of water under the 1962 Water Agreement.

Malaysia, he said, has long known this. “We have 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,” added Dr Balakrishnan. /TISG

Read also: The Water Chronicles — A Timeline of the Singapore-Malaysia Water Issue

The Water Chronicles — A Timeline of the Singapore-Malaysia Water Issue