MFA Spokesman's Comments

On Malaysian Minister Rais Yatim's statement reported in today's Straits Times, the MFA Spokesman said:

"Minister Rais Yatim's remarks are not in accord with the repeated assurances from the Malaysian Government that the 1961 and 1962 Water Agreements would be honoured.

Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has said that Malaysia was "bound" by the Water Agreements and "cannot just break the agreement(s)" (New Straits Times, 3 May 2002). Prime Minister Mahathir also has said: "the fact is according to the agreements we (Malaysia) must supply them (Singapore) with water. We will continue, we promised them that we will supply them with water..." (New Straits Times, 7 August 2002).

In his Opening Statement at the First Ministerial Meeting on the Package of Issues in Putrajaya on 1 July 2002, Malaysian Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar said that "Malaysia has repeatedly said that it will honour the 1961 and 1962 Agreements until their expiry in 2011 and 2061 respectively", and he added that: "during the Separation of Singapore, Malaysia did not propose for the Agreements to be reviewed. It continues to honour the Agreements and such commitment is further reinforced when Malaysia signed the Separation Agreement in 1965."

The 1961 and 1962 Water Agreements are legally binding agreements, the observance of which are guaranteed by both the Governments of Malaysia and Singapore in the 1965 Separation Agreement."

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
25 OCTOBER 2002