Focus Malaysia:
Tun M asked why he did not re-negotiate water deal with Singapore
FORMER premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched a senseless attack against the authorities in Johor over the sale of water for 3 cents to Singapore.
In return, the internet is now harping at the elderly leader who just celebrated his 99th birthday, asking him where he was when he was Prime Minister and why he failed to deal with the water issue with Singapore then.
His cynicism does not end there. He advised that the government continue to help Singapore by selling water for 3 cents forever.
To make his post more interesting, he said Malaysia provided a ‘subsidy’ to Singapore by selling 250 million gallons of raw water per day at a rate of only 3 sen (SG$ 1 sen) per 1,000 gallons since 1962.
According to him, for the past 61 years, from 1962 to 2023, the Malaysian government gave ‘subsidies’ to the country across the causeway amounting to 2.379 billion.
“Malaysia is a subsidised country. We not only give subsidies to our own people but also to foreign countries. Until now, we have been selling raw water at a price of 3 cents per 1,000 gallons.
“Estimates show that Singapore can get a subsidy of RM39 million a year from Malaysia (Johor) compared to if (water sales) cost 45 sen for 1,000 gallons a day since the beginning of selling 250 million gallons a day.
“The loser is the state of Johor because water is sucked from the Johor river. My advice is to sell Johor’s raw water at a price of 3 cents per 1,000 gallons until the end of the world,” he said in a statement on X.
Social media users satirised Dr Mahathir who has been prime minister twice, with tit-for-tat responses.
One user said Dr Mahathir held the post of PM twice, but it is only now that he is ranting about this issue.
Main photo credit: Utusan
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