Water price to S’pore can be reviewed

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia still holds the right to review the terms of its water agreement with Singapore, said Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Marzuki Yahya.

He said the government remained committed and resolute to resolve the water issue and will not budge from its stand to review the price of raw water sold to the republic.

He said the current rate of three sen per 1,000 gallons was too low and did not benefit Malaysia.

“Although Singapore has repeatedly claimed that Malaysia has lost its rights to review the price of raw water, it only shows Singapore’s weakness, who seemed to be trying to twist facts.

“The fact is in the 1961 and 1962 Water Agreement, it clearly states that the price review can be carried out after 25 years from the start of the agreement,” he told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

“What this means is that the Malaysian government can at any time after 1986 and 1987, according to the law, review the price of raw water. Hence, I would like to reiterate that Malaysia’s right to review the price must not be questioned,” he added.

Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan had in July said Malaysia “lost its right” to review the agreement after it took a “conscious decision” not to revisit the price of raw water in 1987 when the 1962 agreement was up for review.

Marzuki said among the measures being taken by the government to resolve the matter was to voice its stand to Singapore, including during a recent visit by Foreign Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah on July 30 and 31.