KL tells its side of water-dispute story in book

[Acemundo]

http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg/latest/st...,197348,00.html?

 

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia will bring a simmering water dispute with neighbouring Singapore to the boil again in a tit-for-tat publishing duel, a report said on Monday.

 

Kuala Lumpur will produce a book revealing a 'true' account of the squabble and rejecting the version put forward by Singapore in a recently-released book entitled Water Talks? If Only It Could.

 

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'We must give the true picture. The only one who is unfair and unreasonable is Singapore,' Foreign Minister Syed Hamid Albar was quoted as saying by the Malay-language Utusan Malaysia.

 

Malaysia's version would reject all the arguments considered inaccurate in Singapore's book, he said.

 

'That book does not help strengthen bilateral ties and it is as if they are not interested in establishing a positive relationship,' Datuk Seri Syed Hamid said.

 

At the heart of the row is the price paid by Singapore for raw water from its neighbour.

 

Singapore's book says Malaysia is unreasonable, frequently changing its stance and causing talks over the issue to come to a standstill.

 

The book, published by the republic's information ministry, contains a chronology of key events, a statement by Singapore's Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar, letters exchanged between Singapore and Malaysia leaders and other documents.

 

Datuk Seri Syed Hamid said Malaysia remained uninterested in holding any talks over the water sold to Singapore until the city-state was capable of accepting a fair and just agreement.

 

Malaysia decided to halt the talks last year after it failed to secure a price increase, and said it was considering taking legal action.

 

It now sells raw water to Singapore at three sen (less than one US cent) per 1,000 gallons (4,550 litres). -- AFP

[Muddie]

well, it's not going to end, is it?

 

like all squabbles, both sides will have their side of the story and there is no way, for commoners like us to know the truth...all we can hope for is the disputes to finally get resolved and ensure our future generation will have their supply of water from our neighbour...

[Acemundo]

well i don't exactly like the way spore goes to press to broadcast the inconsistencies, i find it immature for a government to spend time writing a book just to show its side of the story.

[Muddie]

well, i guess the rumblings that's going on have ruffled some feathers and someone felt there's a need to do that...rightly or wrongly, time will tell. but i agree with you, this type of things should be kept private...

[Wahlao]

2 words - credibility & integrity

 

SG has to show to the rest of the world that we are not what our neighbours accuse us to be. If we do not defend ourselves, our international standing amongst the other countries will be affected.

 

Then again, being so fastidious abt this issue may also work against us.

 

Just me POV... comments are welcome

[Acemundo]

while I do agree with you, somehow i feel that doing the same in international politics, against a neighbour whose traits we only know too well, will bring about more bad blood.

 

if they had the choice to eat in humble pie in quiet and they did not, I don't foresee them eating the humble pie when its made public.

 

anyway most of the more politcally informed singaporeans will have already known who is the wavering party. those not politically well informed are not interested in such affairs anyway.

 

but at least the childishness of syed hamid made us look better.

[Wahlao]

well said & fully agreed

[Panda]

What's there to prove?

What's there needs no prove.

 

Too desperate to show we have credibility and integrity?

 

Weak.

 

Lesson not learnt again. We should learn when to keep our gaps shut.

Edited July 1, 2003 by Icerain

[Wahlao]

point noted, but apparently keeping quiet is something the govt deemed as silent acceptance