Johor will honour an agreement signed between Singapore and Malaysia in 1962 to continue supplying water to us. The 99-year arrangement, which lasts till 2061, offers Singapore the full and exclusive right to take up to 250 million gallons of water each day from the Johor River at three sen per 1,000 gallons. The river supplies about half of our country’s water needs, and all this is done in spite of Johor facing a water shortage.
According to The Star, State Public Works, Rural and Regional Development committee chairman Hasni Mohammad said “even though the selling price does not make sense given the current environment, it is stipulated under the agreement.” He also said Johor would need help from Kuala Lumpur to ensure the state has sufficient water beyond 2018. His statement comes after several quarters urged the state govenment to cease supplying water to Singapore due to the current shortage situation — water levels in Johor’s Linggiu Reservoir experienced a historic low last month.
Part of the 1962 Water Agreement is that Johor buys treated water back from Singapore at 50 sen per 1,000 gallons — a fraction of what it costs Singapore to treat the water, and that includes building and maintaining water purification plants.
