Tuesday, August 14, 2018

Mahathir's perennial water problem with Singapore

MM Online - Dr M wants to hike price of water to Singapore by 10 times:


The fundamental disagreement is this: About 4 years ago the Sing said Malaysia should have revised the price in 1987 and not later or lose that right.

OTOH, Mahathir had then asserted that the agreement says Malaysia can revise the price after 25 years of the agreement (signed in 1962) which was 1987 but the agreement doesn't say it must be done there and then in 1987, meaning the revision could be done much later, after 1987.

However, Singapore argued that its investment in the Linggiu Dam in Johor had been based on Malaysia not taking up its rights to revise the water price in 1987 or Sing would then not have invested in the dam.

Hmmm, maybe the Malaysian side had wanted Sing to invest in the dam so had kept quiet about the price revision, and subsequent to that, said: oops-a-daisy, we forgot about it, we actually wanted a price revision - wakakaka.


Linggui Reservoir 

Now, deciding who's right will have to be the province of contractual lawyers, that is, assuming the current new Malaysian government wants to take up the issue. Perhaps with AG Tommy Thomas providing legal advice it may, wakakaka.

Just as a matter of interest, Clause 17 of the 1961 Agreement and Clause 14 of the 1962 Agreement state clearly: "The provisions of paragraphs (i) and (ii) of the foregoing clause of these presents shall be subject to review after the expiry of 25 years from the date of these presents ..." 

Does twenty-five years after 1961 and 1962 respectively means any time after 1986 and 1987 respectively or immediately following these two dates, and not too subsequent to the two dates?

I am afraid, as mentioned, we have to let the lawyers look into the agreements, wakakaka.

But I'm also afraid Mahathir has a history of trying to get the better of Singapore [apart from the water price eg. crooked bridge, HSR, man-made island next to Middle Rocks, etc] and only succeeded on one score, that of the KTM land where his refusal previously to do anything with it, and to leave the land in developmental fallow frustrated land-hungry Sing (and very likely to his immense satisfaction].


But even that schadenfreude pleasure has been buggered by Najib who as PM approved cooperative development of the KTM land with Sing in 2010, no doubt to "retiree" Mahathir's immense chagrin, wakakaka. Another reason for Maddy to HATE Najib.





17 comments:

  1. "However, Singapore argued that its investment in the Linggiu Dam in Johor had been based on Malaysia not taking up its rights to revise the water price in 1987 or Sing would then not have invested in the dam."

    I'm not so sure about the Singgies would use such an argument to win a legal dispute!

    Case in point - u rent a premise for a number of yr as office. U renovate the premise to suit yr operational requirement.

    The renovation done has nothing to do with the agreed rent!

    So using the investment into the dam as an excuse SOUNDS so so pathetic in not allowing for the revision of the water rate!

    In fact the building of the dam benefit the Singgies due to the steady water catchment area. To the M'sia, the dam damages the ecosystem of the surrounding dam area.

    The Singgies must be taught to pay up!

    ReplyDelete
  2. There is no question that Anwar will be PM after TDM. The real questions are how long he will be PM and who will be PM after him.

    Praba @Batu please step down, finish your exams and let Anwar take over. PKR will be indebted and you have a good future, but your time is not quite here yet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. agreed with your call to Praba to step down - in all probability he was a MIC kacau-candidate to take away some Indian votes but serendipitously became blessed by Tian Chua when the latter was disbarred by the EC

      Delete
  3. KL Stock Market Best performer in Asia Pacific.

    QUOTE
    Indices Year-to-date to Aug 13 performance

    Malaysia FBMKLCI +0.04%
    Australia ASX -0.15%
    Thailand SET -4.08%
    Singapore STI -5.39%
    Japan Nikkei 225 -6.03%
    Indonesia JCI -7.54%
    Hong Kong HSI -8.45%
    South Korea Kospi -9.32%
    The Philippines PComp -12.48%
    China SHComp -16.80%
    UNQUOTE

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alamak! It looks like Ktemoc is reluctant to say "Satu Janji lagi dicapatikan"

    Whatever it is, the amount of money to be gained by even raising the price of the untreated water is negligible and will not be able to even pay off the 1MDB debts . Not forgetting, Singapore may in return, hike up also the price of treated water it sells to Johor.

    I believe all these are just TDM way of spite and hitting back at the Singapore Govt. for so many other reasons. Among them are perhaps:

    1. Not agreeing to built his crooked bridge.
    2. Blackmailing Ahjib with some photos taken while galivating in Singapore.
    3. Ahjib selling off KTM land.
    4. Loss of Pulau Batu Putih.
    5. Concealing IMDB related money laundering accounts.
    6. Ahjib and LSL eating durians and playing golf happily in Singapore.
    7. Sing Dollar = RM 3.0
    8. Biggest Malaysian employer in Singapore.
    9. Singaporeans enjoying cheap food, petrol and holidays in Malaysia.
    10. Singaporeans having reached 1st world status while Malaysia is struggling at 3 rd world status.
    11. Singapore Malays and other minorities being able to survive with the majority race thru meritocracy without crutches and handicaps thus debunking his Malay Dilemma theory.

    TDM has been born a fighter with a huge load of Jaga Maruah egoism since his early days and he does not believe in "If you can't beat them, join them" and still needs to prove everything he wants to do as "Only my way and no other way".

    AI will likely do better in International relations for sure.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. mahathir had as long as LKY to sort each other's own country - ask yourself why maddy failed while lky succeeded despite Malaysia with all its rich (very rich) natural resources while Sing only has its people (and of course leaders)

      Delete
    2. Teloq-less!

      U FORGET the most important contributions of those M'sians sweating to help building RedDot into what it's today!

      Delete
  5. So now SGP won't give back Jho Low's USD35M private jet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh man.. that sucks. I am sorry to hear that.

      Delete
    2. No, the RedDot will return the bombardier jet back to media w/o fail as long as the paper works r in order.

      The Singgies need to keep their superficially squeaky clean administration for the world to see.

      The bombardier jet case is open & on the surface, unlike those launderized money, which r below the surface!

      Otherwise, many of these 'private' funds would caput secepat mungkin to other more favourite locations.

      Delete
  6. In the 21st Century, access to fresh water is shaping up to become one of the greatest source of friction between countries.

    Just as access to Oil was directly or indirectly, one of the most important causes of War in the 20th Century. Japan triggered its Pacific War because the USA, then the largest producer of oil in the world had cut off its supply, and the Japanese Navy had only 6 months remaining oil reserve.
    Germany invaded Russia to a large part to gain the Caucasus oil fields

    Malaysia's obligation to supply 250 million gallons a day (mgd) of raw water (a mind-bogglingly massive, gigantic amount of water) at 3 cents per thousand gallons (an amazingly cheap rate, essentially FREE for all practical purposes) is what an independent party would dub "Bodoh" Stupid.

    But we are where we are....Singapore arguing that the price had to be renegotiated at one date and one date only 1987 is Bullshit.

    Malaysia should take the case to the Hague. But first , as neighbours they should talk.

    It is easy to be glib about Singapore's success compared to Malaysia
    ...unless you ignore geography.

    Anyone who has managed an organisation where people don't get to see each other daily because of distance knows that geography matters.

    Singapore is a so-called Country, which if you are on a plane at 5,000 feet height, you can easily see both ends of the island.
    In terms of geographical administration, to be brutally frank with the Sings, it is Easy to govern Sing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Once upon a time it attracted a lot of illegal money to develop? No?

      Delete
    2. It is a given that being small, it is much easier to govern, as in administering. But with practically zero resource, and starting from scratch full of swamp lands and infested with mosquitoes, deprived even of water, to be able to reach first world status within a short space of time has been acknowledged as nothing short of a feat. It requires great courage, fortitude and tremendous determination, foresight, the never-say-die attitude ( which later gave way to the 4Ks...kiasu, kiasi, kiaboh, kia chenghu, wakakkaka ). In a nutshell..it's the people lah.

      Delete
    3. The illegal money comes ONLY when the basic infras r readied.

      The initial phase has zilch such funds as no funds, legal &/or illegal, WOULD put money into an unknown, which RedDot was then.

      The financial centre concept comes in naturally as her ONLY potent natural resource IS people (especially talented m'sians) vis-a-vis HK & Switzerland.

      Thus the aiming to vigorously promote service industries. IT was never an option as there were no such industry while financial services r well known as a skilled instrument for quick development.

      RedDot just adopted the Switzerland model, hence the inflow of those illegal funds, especially from the surrounding countries.

      Delete
  7. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/28/1mdb-inside-story-worlds-biggest-financial-scandal-malaysia

    " World's largest financial scandal " as The Guardian puts it.

    The White Witch is in KL.... her spells and hexes helped bring down the Najib Kleptocracy.

    Ktemoc should really abhor her....eakakakaka..

    ReplyDelete