SHAH ALAM: Malaysia should not be dissuaded from revising the price of water being supplied to Singapore.
It has become a trend for Singapore to be on the defensive mode, each time Malaysia tries to negotiate the current price of 3 sen per gallon.
University Kebangsaan Malaysia's International Law expert, Associate Professor Salawati Mat Basir pointed this out during a talk entitled 'Perjanjian Air Malaysia- Singapura: Siapa Rugi Siapa Untung?' last night.
She said Malaysia had brought up the water tariff matter on several occasions with Singapore, but they seemed to be avoiding it.
"Water is a matter of basic rights and it's a subject of national security for both nations. We have been supplying water to them since 1961 even before the Water Agreement 1962 was signed.
"We have kept to the agreement and never once asked to review the tariff until 1987.
"It is only after more than 60 years Malaysia wants to revise the tariff but they are still not agreeable to it," she added.
Each time Malaysia brought up the water agreement for a review, she said, Singapore seemed to be using other issues to even the score.
"For instance, when we wanted to negotiate the water pricing, they increased the vehicle entry permit (VEP) fee for Malaysian cars that entered Singapore," she said.
Salawati said as a neighbour, Singapore should be neighbourly by addressing the water issues of both countries.
"What bothers me more is the lack sense of gratitude from our neighbour for all that Malaysia has done for them.
"Instead one of its members of parliament had the cheek to say that Malaysia had become a poor country with a lot of debts during a parliament session. This is simply unbecoming of a politician.
"How can Singapore put down its neighbour in such an openly manner?," she asked.
Another panelist from Universiti Malaya's Institute of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Datuk Professor Dr Azizan Abu Samah said Singapore should stop feeling "high and mighty" in accommodating Malaysia's request in the water tariff issue.
"They tend to overlook that one day they may need the help of others in the region.
"Maybe not today, but in the future...so don't create diplomatic friction with your neighbour. It's you that is set to lose more if you don't negotiate the water price, soon, " he said.
Azizan said although Singapore had embarked on various efforts to produce it's own water resources, it could not rely completely on them because it was too costly to sustain.
"They had approached Indonesia and Papua New Guinea to supply them with raw water, but apparently they had been turned down, " he told moderator Sayed Munawar Sayed Mohd Mustar.
Azizan suggested for both countries to bring the matter to the Arbitration Court for amicable solution if Singapore refused to negotiate directly.
The third panel member in the discussion, Johor People's Congress chairman and Mahkota State assemblyman, Khairul Faizi Ahmad Kamil said he was surprised by the laid-back response from Malaysians, particularly Johoreans who would lose out without the revised tariff.
"From an online survey that I did, everyone felt that 3 sen per gallon of water sold to Singapore was unacceptable today. But, many did not find it disturbing or consider it as a problem.
"They fail to realise that if we do not find a solution or meet half way in revising the water price we supply to Singapore, we will lose out, not only in terms of money but is likely to face water shortage in the next 20 years, " he said asking relevant quarters like the Foreign Ministry, the Attorney-General's Chambers, and the media to apply necessary pressure to start the negotiation.
The water agreement between Singapore and Malaysia was signed in 1962 that would end in 2061.
However, the price revision that was long due for a renewal after 1987 has yet to happen.