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PM hopes to maintain good relations with 'younger twin' S'pore

On his visit to Singapore ahead of the 33rd Asean Summit, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said that he hopes Malaysia's good relations with its "younger twin" would continue. 

According to Bernama, Mahathir described Malaysia and Singapore as twins, except “the elder twin is little bit bigger and older than the younger twin.”

“But we have been able to live together in reasonably harmonious terms.

“It is not often that you see countries which came together and then separated, and still able to work together and help each other,” he was reported as saying during his speech at an official luncheon hosted by his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong.

At a later event, the prime minister told reporters that previously "controversial" issues were raised in his bilateral talks with Lee, including the 1962 water agreement.

“We raised some of the issues in the past which were regarded as controversial. I thought I have to state our stand on it.

"I think by and large, he was quite accommodating. He listened to my views and I think he is much more open to discussing these things than before.

"Before they just rejected all efforts at renegotiating,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

When asked whether Singapore agreed to revise the current rates, Mahathir said: “They didn’t say they agree but at least they appear to be willing to state their case and for us to state our case.”

In an August interview, Mahathir told the Associated Press that he was considering a tenfold increase in the price of water sold to Singapore. 

Under the current agreement which expires in 2061, Singapore receives 250 million gallons of raw water daily at 3 sen per 1,000 gallons.

Malaysia then purchases back a portion of that at 50 sen per 1,000 gallons.

In first announcing Malaysia's plans to renegotiate the deal, Mahathir had dismissed as "ridiculous" the current 3 sen rate.

In response, Singapore said that terms of the agreement must be fully complied with until it expires in 2061.

- Bernama

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