S'pore mulls other water sources

S'pore mulls other water sources

MALAYSIA: Malaysia on Saturday reacted coolly to a Singaporean suggestion which seeks to reduce the island's dependence on water piped in from its near 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 will push ahead with high- technology water processing programs. Water has been a thorny issue between the two countries which separated bitterly in 1965.

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. -- AFP