Water Agreements : A Summary

The supply of water from Malaysia to Singapore is enshrined in two Water Agreements made between the two countries in 1960 and 1961 respectively, which clearly stipulated the price and other terms concerning the water supply.

Since then, Malaysia has tried to unilaterally vary the terms of the Agreements, in particular to revise the price upwards. This was followed by a series of negotiations during which Malaysia changed its position several times.

Singapore has consistently maintained that the sanctity of international agreements must be respected, and any variation of the original Agreements must be in accordance with the provisions in the Agreements themselves

More recently, throughout 2002 and 2003, a number of allegations were made against Singapore by Malaysian politicians and media on the water issue. This prompted Singapore to release public domain correspondence between the two countries to set the record straight and to point out some crucial facts which Malaysia had ignored.

Following this, Malaysia made further allegations in a series of eight advertisements run in the Malaysian local dailies and the Asian Wall Street Journal (AWSJ) and the publication of a booklet. In response, a spokesman from Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out that the Malaysian advertisements had ignored crucial facts in all the documents that are now in the public domain, and were a rehash of old arguments.

Singapore's Position
Singapore's position on the water issue was highlighted by its Foreign Minister Prof S Jayakumar in Parliament on 25 Jan 2003. You can read his full statement here. We highlight his key points below:

1. The water dispute is not over money but Singapore's independence.
The Water Agreements are parts of the Separation Agreement which guarantees Singapore's existence as an independent nation. If the terms of the Water Agreement can be varied unilaterally, then Singapore's independence would be in doubt. That is why Singapore has to resist Malaysia's attempt at price revision in a way which is not in accordance with the provisions of the Water Agreements.

2. Singapore has been consistent and reasonable in the water negotiations.
Despite the many changes in Malaysia's position during the course of the negotiations, Singapore has been patient and accommodating in putting forward win-win solutions. The chronology of events and the supporting documents demonstrate this.

3. What next?
Singapore wants good relations with Malaysia because both benefit from that. Good relations must be founded on the principle of law and commitment to treaties solemnly entered into.

"Now it has become clear that we cannot expect renewal of water supply. As this removes the basis for further negotiations, we are ready to have the dispute resolved through arbitration according to the laws of Johor." (Minister for Foreign Affairs, Prof S Jayakumar, in Parliament)