Johor plans to stop buying treated water from Singapore

JOHOR BAHRU: The Johor state government plans to be self-sufficient in treated water instead of relying on Singapore, Johor Menteri Besar Osman Sapian said on Friday (March 1) according to Malaysian media reports.

“We have a plan to be self-sufficient but that is still in the planning stage and cannot be divulged at the moment,” Datuk Osman said after attending a special session with Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad and Cabinet ministers in Putrajaya.

His comments came a day after Priem Minister Tun Dr Mahathir urged Johoreans to speak up on the “morally wrong” water deal between Malaysia and Singapore.

Under the 1962 Water Agreement, which expires in 2061, Singapore is entitled to draw up to 250 million gallons a day (mgd) of raw water from the Johor River at three sen per 1,000 gallons.

Johor is entitled to buy five mgd of treated water from Singapore at 50 sen per 1,000 gallons. Singapore has said this price is heavily subsidised and below the cost of treating the water. Singapore has, in practice, been supplying 16mgd of treated water at Johor’s request.

But Dr Mahathir said during the two days meeting with Johor officials that “rich” Singapore had been benefiting from “poor” Malaysia on the water issue.

“I don’t hear Johoreans talking about this,” Dr Mahathir said on Thursday.