Water row heats up as S'pore retorts Malaysian press<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Singapore<\/p>\n
Singapore has reacted to a Malaysian media blitz over a long-
\nrunning water supply dispute by accusing its neighbor of
\nrepeating "tired old arguments" that will not resolve the issue.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian government placed full page advertisements in
\nthe four major Kuala Lumpur daily newspapers and The Asian Wall
\nStreet Journal over the weekend and on Monday accusing Singapore
\nof profiteering from the arrangement.<\/p>\n
"Malaysia gets nothing. Singapore gets rich," the ads state,
\nclaiming the Singapore government had tarnished the name of
\nMalaysia around the world by making its case in the argument.<\/p>\n
Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to the ad
\ncampaign late on Monday, issuing a statement saying the media
\nblitz was "puzzling".<\/p>\n
"We do not know what they hope to achieve," the statement
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
"To make progress Malaysia must engage the substance of the
\nfacts. They need to go beyond old stories and repeating tired
\narguments."<\/p>\n
The dispute stems from a deal finalized in 1965, when
\nSingapore split from Malaysia and became independent, under which
\nMalaysia supplies water to the resource-scarce city-state.<\/p>\n
Malaysia sells the water to Singapore at three Malaysian sen
\n(less than one U.S. cent) per 1,000 gallons (4,550 liters), but
\nKuala Lumpur wants a price increase.<\/p>\n
The foreign affairs statement repeated Singapore's assertion
\nthat it offered to pay more for the water, but Malaysia rejected
\nthe proposed price hikes.<\/p>\n
"It is on the record that Singapore offered to raise the price
\nof raw water from 3 sen to 45 sen and later again to 60 sen as
\npart of the package," the statement said.<\/p>\n
"Malaysia first accepted this. Then they reneged on the deal
\nand later arbitrarily asked for three ringgit (79 U.S. cents) and
\nthen more than six ringgit."<\/p>\n
The statement said Malaysia then unilaterally called off the
\nnegotiations.<\/p>\n
"The next step is arbitration, which is what the water
\nagreements provide for... we have said we are ready.<\/p>\n
"But instead of following up, they have resorted, six months
\nlater, to this ad campaign. This is puzzling."<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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