KL cool as S'pore mulls other water sources
KL cool as S'pore mulls other water sources
Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia on Saturday reacted coolly to a Singaporean suggestion
which seeks to reduce the island's dependence on water piped in
from its neighbor.
"That's Singapore's choice. If Singapore says it wants to find
other water sources, that's up to Singapore," deputy prime
minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was quoted as saying by Bernama
news agency.
Abdullah said Malaysia will not lose anything if neighboring
Singapore wants to get its water supply from other sources.
In a policy statement concluding an inaugural debate at
Singapore's new parliament which ended Friday, Prime Minister Goh
Chok Tong said the city-state would push ahead with high-
technology water processing programs.
Water has been a thorny issue between the two countries which
separated bitterly in 1965.
"I do not want our relations with Malaysia to be always
strained by this issue," Goh said.
"It prevents us from co-operating in strategic areas of mutual
benefit. The long-term interests of our two countries might be
better served if we can remove this constant thorn in bilateral
relations," he said.
But Abdullah said Malaysia did not intend to prolong any
problems between the two countries.
"What's needed is the spirit of cooperation and sincerity
between us and all problems can be solved," he said.
Malaysia has accused Singapore of profiteering from cheap
water supplied by the state of Johor under agreements dating back
to the early 1960s, and is demanding a higher price.
Calling the water issue a "Damocles' sword hanging over our
heads," Goh said the disputes had bred mistrust and suspicion and
"it may be better for bilateral relations if we start to move a
little away from our reliance on Malaysia for water".
Apart from water, other bilateral irritants include use of
Malaysian airspace by Singapore's military aircraft and the
future of Malaysian-owned railways and real estate in Singapore,
which are part of broad negotiations that have been going on for
years.
"Malaysia has written to us with their latest proposal on the
bilateral package. We shall send them our reply some time next
week," Goh said.
Singapore's land reclamation program also cropped up recently
as another issue, but the city-state has vowed to go ahead with
reclamation works within its territorial waters.
"Protest notes have been sent. If they show that they're
unsympathetic, it will hamper our relations," Abdullah added.