Malaysia and Singapore grapple with water dispute<\/p>\n
Barani Krishnan
\nReuters
\nKuala Lumpur<\/p>\n
Malaysia and Singapore began talks on Monday to try to seal a
\ntricky deal on water supply for Singapore, the thorniest
\nbilateral issue between the two neighbors.<\/p>\n
The water disagreement has muddied negotiations over other
\nproblems such as the use of Malaysian airspace by Singapore air
\nforce fighters.<\/p>\n
Singapore's Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar set the tone for the
\nwhen he said a mutually satisfying deal was needed, but that
\nprogress was not possible without compromise.<\/p>\n
\"We must conduct our discussions on the basis that nothing is
\nsettled until everything is settled,\" he said before the talks
\ngot underway at Putrajaya, the Malaysian government's new
\nadministrative center just south of Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n
\"It will not be easy, but I firmly believe it is possible to
\nreach an agreement provided that there is the political will and
\nmutual goodwill on both sides,\" Jayakumar added.<\/p>\n
His host and counterpart Syed Hamid Albar had similar advice
\nfor the Singaporeans.<\/p>\n
\"The greatest challenge before us is not to outdo one another.
\nThis is not an exercise in one upmanship,\" the Malaysian foreign
\nminister said in a statement obtained by media.<\/p>\n
\"Water is a resource that Malaysia values but has always been
\nwilling to share with its neighbor Singapore. All of us realize
\nit is a scarce commodity that we have to manage well,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The main agenda for the two-day meeting will be a discussion
\non Malaysia's formula for fixing the price of both raw and
\ntreated water drawn from Malaysia's southern state of Johor.<\/p>\n
The formula, yet to be made public, was proposed by Prime
\nMinister Mahathir Mohamad to Singapore Senior Minister Lee Kuan
\nYew in March after earlier talks made little headway.<\/p>\n
Syed Hamid Albar has said that if a deal on water could be
\nreached, other bilateral disputes could be resolved as a package.<\/p>\n
He said a news conference could be held by Tuesday noon if an
\nagreement was concluded.<\/p>\n
Singapore now pays three Malaysian cents (less than one U.S.
\ncent) for every thousand gallons of raw water piped from Johor.<\/p>\n
It has offered to pay 45 Malaysian cents when a supply
\nagreement runs out in 2011 and 60 cents after 2061, with
\nadjustments every five years.<\/p>\n
Malaysia provides about half of Singapore's water needs. The
\nagreement expiring 2011 stipulates the island can draw 88
\nmillions gallons daily (mgd) from Johor while the one ending 2061
\nallows another 50 mgd.<\/p>",
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