Mahathir defends media campaign against S'pore

Mahathir defends media campaign against S'pore

Associated Press, Kuala Lumpur

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad on Thursday brushed off
neighboring Singapore's protest over his government's scathing
media campaign accusing the city-state of spreading
misconceptions about a long-standing water dispute.

Local newspapers and The Asian Wall Street Journal have been
carrying full-page government-paid advertisements rejecting
Singapore's claim, made in a booklet, that Malaysia was
unreasonable in demanding an increase in the price of water it
supplies to Singapore.

The advertisements published on Thursday accused Singapore of
having "gone around the world" claiming that Malaysia had
repeatedly agreed to a new price of water and then "shifted the
goal posts."

"All points have never been agreed," the advertisement placed
by Malaysia's National Economic Action Council read. "No
agreement has been signed by the Prime Ministers of Malaysia and
Singapore."

The Singapore Foreign Ministry said the advertisements, which
will run until Sunday, ignored crucial facts and were a rehash of
old arguments.

Speaking to reporters upon returning from a three-day visit to
Ukraine, Mahathir defended the advertisements and said Malaysia
needed to make its arguments known to the public.

"Many people don't know, so it must be new to a lot of
people," Mahathir was quoted as saying by the national news
agency, Bernama. "People should know the facts, that's all."

The advertisements were in response to the Singaporean
booklet, titled, Water talks? If only it could, which was
released in March and accuses Malaysia of changing its stance in
negotiations over issues such as water prices, border crossing
locations and military airspace.

Malaysia and Singapore have a touchy relationship despite
close economic and cultural ties. The former British colonies
were united in 1963 but split amid bitter discord two years
later. Their usually cordial ties sometimes turn testy over
persistent disagreements.

Malaysia wants to renegotiate two agreements dating back to
the 1920s freezing the price of water it supplies to Singapore at
3 Malaysian sen (1 U.S. cent) per 4,540 liters (1,200 U.S.
gallons) of untreated water. Malaysia says the price is now
ridiculously low.

But Singapore, which relies on its neighbor for half its water
needs, said Malaysia missed its chance to review prices in the
mid-1980s. The two agreements expire in 2011 and 2061.