1962 agreement - What if we just held on to our water?
TDM being the smart politician pounced on the ability to choose from wide variety of incoherent questions posed by the novice. Obviously the ‘fairness’ of the water deal is the one he went for. This argument does not need to be debated at length - let’s just put ALL the numbers and what it means to both countries and judge on its economic merits of ‘fairness’. It’s a commercial deal. Period.
@Leemz.my, the opportunity for Malaysia to revise the 1961/62 Agreements, went by in 1986/87 respectively, when Malaysia, for unknown reasons, declined to make any review then.You should focus on Malaysian leaders then (Tunku, Razak, Ismail etc) for their lackadaisical inaction. It was this that betrayed the interests of the people of Malaysia. But there are no angry rallies or effigy-burning etc. The 1961 Agreement expired in 2011. What binds both parties now, is the 1962 Agreement and the 1990 one( regarded as supplementary to the 1962 one) that both end in 2061. It's overlooked by Mahathir and other politicians bent on demonizing Singapore, that Singapore was contractually bound to PAY for the dam and treatment constructed in Johor, PAY RM320 million in compensation for leasing 21,600 of Johor forest land for the project, PAY RM18,000 per hectare in land premium (totalling about RM388.8 million) and PAY RM30 per 1,000 square feet (92.9 square metres) in annual rent( amounts to about RM70 million in annual rent, subject to revision by the Johor government) As a former Umno politician and knowing that the single-religion Melayu have a sizable degree of brainwashing and groupthink mentality, Mahathir chooses to pounce on 90-year-old facts like that 3 sen cost to create a "Chinaman are cheating us simple good-hearted Melayu!" Many Malaysians have succumbed to groupthink, after 61 years of Umno. Singapore's success attests to our crushing failures - at national cohesion, global recognition, very strong currency, military training by US and Israel, First World status in 1995! and more. Did you know Rolls Royce builds their sophisticated jet engines there? That billionaire Dyson (vacuums and consumer electronics) is moving their HQ there and plans to build electric cars in S'pore. I don't love Singapore. Malaysia will always be my homeland even though some idiots call me pendatang. S'pore will be completely free of water-dependency, if it isn't already. Lets move on.
Agreed with Mytake that Dr M was trying to confuse the audience with his diversion tactic... a trait that most Malaysian politicians possess!The student was asking about the MB in the (international) water (Sea) and Dr M reply by quoting water agreement. Any an agreement is binding... that the essence of Rule of Law.
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