Ready, fight: Singaporean Oxford undergrad and Malaysian PM battle on S’pore-M’sia maritime dispute and water prices

Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (left) was challenged on his position on the Singapore-Malaysia maritime dispute and water treaty by Singaporean Oxford undergrad Darrion Mohan (right) (Photo: Darrion Mohan / Facebook)
Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (left) was challenged on his position on the Singapore-Malaysia maritime dispute and water treaty by Singaporean Oxford undergrad Darrion Mohan (right) (Photo: Darrion Mohan / Facebook)

We never would have seen the day that an undergraduate would end up defending Singapore’s interests against the Malaysian prime minister, but here we are ladies and gents: it’s real, student activism is alive and we are here for it.

We are talking about a war of words that emerged by Singaporean Oxford undergraduate Darrion Mohan and the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad when the latter visited the Oxford Union.

You can either watch the whole incident below which will give you a pretty clear look at how ballsy and composed Mohan was the whole time he was rebutting the Malaysian PM, or read the blow-by-blow later on.

Using the words of former Malaysian PM Najib Razak, Mohan had asked if the PM wanted to return to the “confrontational diplomacy and barbed rhetoric” between Singapore and Malaysia that Mahathir had in his previous term, in reference to recent water boundary disputes between Singapore and Malaysia.

However, the line of questioning soon evolved when Mohan mentioned a testy water price hike that was debated last year, in which Mahathir announced his intention to revise the price of water that Johor sells to Singapore at.

Mahathir took off with the water price issue instead of the maritime dispute, criticizing the price that Singapore pays for Johor’s water, which is at 3 Malaysian cents per thousand gallons.

“Since 1926, you mean to say prices don’t change?” Mahathir said.

At this point, it must be noted that the first water agreement was signed in 1927 but is no longer in force, having been superseded by the 1962 water agreement allowing Singapore to draw up to 250 million gallons of raw water per day from the Johor River.

Both Mahathir and the Johor chief minister Osman Sapian have said they want to raise the price at while water is sold to Singapore, at a price that is more than 30 Malaysian cents per thousand gallons.

The disagreement on water prices

But oh wait, our intrepid undergrad is not done yet. He stands up to remind Mahathir that Malaysia has had ample time to revise the water price agreement and that Singapore has been giving Malaysia more water than was agreed.

(For context: While Singapore gives 5 million gallons of treated water to Malaysia per day, Singapore upped its supply of treated water to Malaysia in 2016 to 22 million gallons daily to help Johor during a severe dry spell of weather.)

Mahathir then fires back, saying that Singapore sells water at RM60 (US$14) per thousand gallons, although Mohan disputed this fact in his Facebook post saying that Mahathir was referring to the price that Singapore sells water domestically.

Singapore actually sells treated water back to Malaysia at 50 Malaysian cents per thousand gallons.

“Do you think that is fair to Malaysia, that we receive 3 (Malaysian) cents?” Mahathir presses on.

Mohan then rebutted by saying that “it may not be fair but out of goodwill Singapore has sold more water at a subsidized price”, to the laughter of audience members.

Despite the laughter, Mohan is still not yet done. He then accuses Mahathir of not taking the chance to revise the water price, to which Mahathir replies: “I took the chance before but Singapore refuses, and also refuses to go to the Courts for that.”

Mahathir then alleges that the cost of water treatment is “very little” and continues to reiterate that it is “grossly unfair” that Malaysia charges 3 Malaysian cents for water.

“We have to get back our money… for years, Singapore has benefited,” he said.

The disagreement on maritime boundaries

Mohan then rises up once again to remind the PM that he is not here to ask about water prices but to ask him if he will take measures to prevent incidents such as the Johor chief minister entering disputed waters between Singapore and Malaysia.

To this, Mahathir confirmed that the minister had entered those waters without permission (which might explain why he got barred from entering Mahathir’s car) but seemed puzzled at the response that Singapore had towards the water dispute.

“The reaction to his going there is quite severe as if you are going to war,” he said. “He is going into a ship in neutral waters.”

Mohan rises for one last time to remind Mahathir that the waters are not neutral and that Singapore does not recognize these waters in Malaysia’s 1979 map.

Mahathir then remarks that the disputed waters are “international waters”, but Mohan pointed out on his Facebook post that it contradicts recent statements made by Mahathir and the Malaysian transport minister that the waters actually belong to Malaysia.

“Dr (Mahathir’s) concession that these are in fact international waters significantly undermines Malaysia’s initial claim,” said Mohan on his Facebook page.

If you’re still reading here, good job and remember: the water dispute may still not be resolved, but at least bilateral discussions are still continuing.



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