Mahathir hopes for change in water deal after Singapore GE
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia was hoping to “see a change” in the long-standing Singapore-Malaysia water deal after the island republic’s general elections next month.
Speaking to Hong Kong's Asia Times, Mahathir said he was however not very optimistic as Singapore was not “very cooperative”.
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia was hoping to “see a change” in the long-standing Singapore-Malaysia water deal after the island republic’s general elections next month.
Speaking to Hong Kong's Asia Times, Mahathir said he was however not very optimistic as Singapore was not “very cooperative”.
Even so, he hoped Lee Hsien Yang, the estranged brother of current premier Hsien Loong (with Mahathir, above) would have a different attitude towards its neighbour across the straits should his party succeed in toppling the long-time PAP government.
“Well, we hope there is a change. But knowing Singapore, they are not very cooperative. They don’t want to change anything. Everything is to their advantage, so they want to keep it that way.
“I do hope the brother, who has differences with his elder brother, would have a different attitude towards Malaysia,” Mahathir, the disputed Bersatu chairperson, said according to transcripts of the interview published today.
Even so, when questioned on his views on the upcoming Singapore polls, he said it was an “internal problem” between the siblings.
“I think they (Singapore) have had one party for a much longer time than we had. People are a bit tired, maybe they want to see a change.
“They are entitled to change their government. But even if they change their government, the relationship with Malaysia may not change.”
Singapore will head to the polls on July 10 after Hsien Loong called for the dissolution of the republic's parliament last Tuesday.
The brothers are the sons of Singapore’s modern-day founder, Kuan Yew. Hsien Loong heads the People’s Action Party (PAP) founded by their father and which has governed Singapore since it separated from Malaysia in 1965.
Hsien Yang recently announced he was joining the opposition Progress Singapore Party (PSP) but was undecided on whether he would run as a candidate in the coming polls.
The siblings have been feuding over their late father's house after his death in 2015.
In the Asia Times interview, Mahathir had expressed dissatisfaction over Malaysia's long-standing water deal with the republic.
Mahathir had championed a review of the water deal when he was serving as prime minister under the Pakatan Harapan government in 2018, repeatedly labelling the deal as nonsensical.
In the agreement which expires in 2061, Singapore currently has the right to source 250 million gallons of raw water a day from Sungai Johor and pays just three sen per 1,000 gallons of raw water.
It then sells treated water back to Johor at 50 sen per thousand gallons.
READ MORE: KiniGuide: Diving deep into Johor-S'pore water agreements
Mahathir told Asia Times that the three-sen price tag was too low and the deal “ridiculous” in view of current prices.
“Before, when we had that agreement, three sen could buy something. Today, three sen is nothing. You can’t buy a single thing with it. So we asked them, please let’s revise.
“[...] If Singapore is a poor country, maybe they need our help […] but it’s not a poor country. We want to negotiate a new price. We buy water from them and if they want to raise the price of treated water they sell to us, we will negotiate that price too,” he said.
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