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Water was one of the most controversial points in the recent bilateral relations between the two countries
Divya Ryan for The Diplomat
July 19, 2018 [19659005] On July 5, the chief minister of the Malaysian state of Johor suggested that the price at which Singapore buys water should be increased by 1600 percent . Singapore, shortage of water, depends on Malaysia since its split in 1965 and buys water at 3 sen per thousand gallons . The same agreement that provided Singapore up to 60 percent of its water was the biggest break in relations between the two countries since then. With the revival of the issue by the new Malaysian Prime Minister last month, the city-state must act quickly to defuse the situation.
When Malaysia's main opposition party Pakatan Harapan swept the ruling party Barisan Nasional The time of the country's history, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has been reinstated as Prime Minister of Malaysia . His predecessor Najib Razak presided over what was glorified as "The Golden Age" Singapore-Malaysia relations, signing mutually beneficial infrastructure contracts such as the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) link between the two countries [Source: Singapore Public Utilities Board]
Enjoy this article? Click here to subscribe for full access. On the other hand, Mahathir has rekindled tensions with Singapore that recall his first term as prime minister. He canceled HSR agreement, reviewed the commercial link and dredged the long-standing debate on the Singapore-Malaysia water case This goes back to Singapore's merger with Malaysia in 1962. The water agreement was one of the most controversial points in relations. bilateral agreements between the two countries.
On June 24, Mahathir declared that the price to buy water from his largest neighbor is "manifestly ridiculous" and that the agreement must be renegotiated. The Singapore Foreign Ministry replied that the two countries must maintain the agreement as is. Yet, less than a month later, Chief Minister Johor proposed to raise the price of water by 16 times . Adding to the resentment of this act, the proposal came only a week after the crown prince of Johor thanked Singapore for his help during the drought and the crisis of the island. Water of 2016.
The antagonism of the new Malaysian government towards Singapore is multiple. It is led by Pakatan Harapan, a coalition of four disparate parties. Mahathir effectively teamed up with former political opponents like Anwar Ibrahim (19459013) imprisoned for sodomy) and Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng (who was detained for two years under his orders signed in Lalang's operation in 1987) to wrest the power of Barisan Nasional.
Mahathir must present a strong and unified position to consolidate power for the new government, and evoke a "rally around the world." the "nationalist" flag in opposition to the smaller and more prosperous neighbor of Malaysia. Prime Minister also seems to use the water agreement as a lever to negotiate a withdrawal from the HSR agreement without incurring significant penalties – a necessary step for a government trying to wrestle with a crushing debt of RM1 .087 trillion or 80.3% of the GDP of Malaysia. In addition, Mahathir tries to distance himself from the disgraced former Prime Minister Najib by withdrawing from the agreements that his predecessor had accepted.
The Singaporean government has understood the domestic political situation in Malaysia. Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen pointed out that Singapore did not need to "answer all the joints" because Malaysian officials might be addressing a " internal public ". However, the city-state government has been quick to assert that the water business is a national sovereignty issue showing that Mahathir can only push away in his efforts to divert the city. Malaysian Attention to Domestic Policy
It is imperative that the two governments cooperate to ensure that tensions do not increase, although Singapore has options for retaliation if it chooses to do so. It could increase vehicle entry permit fees for foreign vehicles as they entered the city, which would severely affect one-quarter of commuters crossing the Johor-Singapore roadways every day. In addition, Singapore is Malaysia's largest trading partner and has a deficit of $ 9.9 billion with Malaysia – the city-state can exert commercial pressure on its largest neighbor for it to adhere to the agreement on water as is. But these retaliatory measures may not be necessary. In January, Singapore and Malaysia announced a joint venture to conduct a hydrometric modeling study of the Johor River Reservoir and Linggiu (Singapore and Johor ). water source which declined to 20% of its capacity in 2016, causing the aforementioned water crisis). While Malaysia agreed to fully fund the effort, Singapore could offer to finance the rest of the project as a sign of good faith given its debt situation. After all, the study would allow both countries to anticipate future changes in the capacity of the Johor River to avoid shortages like that of 2016. Although this decision does not affect the watershed, it does not affect the water quality. existing agreement, it allows Singapore to show its sensitivity to Malaysia's concerns. Meanwhile, Mahathir's new government should ease mistrust, not ignite their rhetoric, and pursue common goals – such as supporting the Linggiu Reservoir – instead of targeting Singapore to inspire Malaysian unity . Finding a solution to the problem will take time, but it will only be possible if both parties take steps together
Divya Ryan is a student in International Relations at Pomona College. She grew up in Singapore and is an intern at the Asia Pacific Program of the EastWest Institute. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the EastWest Institute.
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