Water Wars in the Singapore-Malaysia Friendship!
In a surprisingly dramatic turn of events, Singapore’s foreign ministry revealed that its legal eagle (the attorneys‑general) and Malaysia’s own legal heavyweight had finally sat down over drinks to hash out the age‑old water quarrel. This gesture came after the two prime ministers, Lee Hsien‑Loong and Mahathir Mohamad, shook hands and agreed that officials should keep the dialogue going to clear up who’s actually paying for what.
What Went Down In December?
In December 2018, the lawyers met – but the meeting didn’t go as smoothly as hoped. Instead of focusing on the water price, they got sidetracked by:
- The Johor Baru Port Limits debate
- Confusion about the Seletar Instrument Landing System procedures
Those new drama bits turned the whole discussion into a bit of a soap‑opera episode.
Prime Ministers Got It Right!
Back in November, Prime Minister Lee and Prime Minister Mahathir expressed a genuine desire to keep the conversation moving. They said officials from both sides should keep patting the table and listening to each other’s viewpoint under the 1962 Water Agreement. Surprise, surprise – they were just as serious as they sounded.
Malaysia’s Fresh Take
During a media appearance after dropping by the Rohingya Education Centre in Klang, Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah painted a very different picture:
- “We’ve moved into the second stage of negotiations,” he said. “Now we’re talking numbers.”
- He added that the first stage – simply agreeing to talk – was a big win in itself.
It seems the water deal has gotten a new spring into it, and the Malaysians are ready to dupe the dollars.
Backstory: The 1962 Deal
Let’s rewind a bit. In 1962, both countries signed a pact that:
- Singapore could draw up to 250 million gallons a day (mgd) of raw water from the Johor River at a price of three sen (one cent for Singapore) per 1,000 gallons.
- Malaysia could buy five mgd of treated water from Singapore at 50 sen per 1,000 gallons.
Singapore argued those treated‑water prices were shoo‑low – so low that it’s basically giving the water for free. Malaysia, on the flip side, feels the raw water price is a bit of a blowout fiasco.
Who’s Got the Right to Talk Prices?
According to Singapore, in 1987 Malaysia stopped its right to challenge the pricing under the 1962 agreement by simply opting not to do it. Singapore says that’s a big deal and that the Malaysian choice to leave it alone locked in an awkward status quo.
What’s Next?
Will the diplomats get their dishes together and finally decide who pays for the water “fairly”? Or will new controversies push the discussion into a dizzying loop again? Only time – and a lot of cups of tea – will tell.
As the water saga continues to simmer like a tropical curry, both nations are scrambling to keep the friendship simmering and not boil over.
