Govt reviewing all water agreements with Singapore - DPM Fadillah

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is reviewing all existing agreements related to the issue of raw water from the Johor River being sold to Singapore at a fixed price of 3 sen (SGD 0.01) per 1,000 gallons since 1962, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.

Fadillah, who is also the Minister of Energy Transition and Water Transformation, said this in response to former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's statement that over 61 years (1962-2023), the water deal translated to a significant sum foreseen as a subsidy to Singapore.

Fadillah said that the issue has persisted for years even during the administration of the former prime minister.

"Whether Malaysia has been providing a subsidy (to Singapore) or not, we are reviewing all the existing agreements," he said after opening the Water Malaysia Specialised Conference and Exhibition 2024 here today.

In his statement last Friday, Tun Dr Mahathir said that Malaysia has been giving 'subsidies' to Singapore for the past 61 years by selling 250 million gallons of raw water per day at a rate of only 3 sen (SGD 0.01) per 1,000 gallons since 1962.

The 1962 Johor-Singapore Water Agreement gives Singapore 250 million gallons of raw water per day at 3 sen per 1,000 gallons and, in return, Malaysia is entitled to buy back the treated water at 50 sen per 1,000 gallons. The agreement will only expire in 2061.

-- BERNAMA