KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will continue to honour its commitment to supply water to Singapore.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said both countries will now jointly work on ensuring the Johor River is able to cater to the needs of the state and supply water to Singapore.
"We should also look at the possibility of Singapore participating in a joint effort in terms of studies, which can be conducted immediately; and in the management of the Johor River particularly with the state of Johor," he said during a joint press conference with his Singaporean counterpart Lee Hsien Loong in Singapore today.
Anwar is on a two-day working visit to the republic in conjunction with the 10th Malaysia-Singapore Leaders' Retreat beginning today.
Later during the press conference, he said Malaysia and Singapore have a strong relationship and due to the interdependence of both countries, its leaders must look at the benefits it can channel to the people.
"I am of the opinion that the people will obtain very high benefits if some of the outstanding issues are resolved," he added.
Lee said both countries are committed to resolving outstanding bilateral issues including maritime limitations, water, and airspace.
He said the important issues which will be considered holistically and constructively within the broader context of the overall relationship between both countries.
"Importantly it will not be allowed to color and affect this overall relationship or detract from the many positive areas of cooperation between us.
"We are confident both countries can work out mutually beneficial ways forward on all of these issues," he said.
In a joint statement, both the leaders agreed to reconvene Singapore's Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and Malaysia's Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (MSE-NRECC) Joint Technical Committee to resume discussions on measures to safeguard water quality, as well as increase the yield of the Johor river, to ensure its sustainable supply required by the 1962 Johor River Water Agreement.
The leaders also agreed that both countries will resume discussions on the prices of raw and treated water,without prejudice to each other's respective long-declared positions on the right to review the prices under the agreement.
The leaders encouraged the water authorities to maintain their excellent working relationship and looked forward to more areas of collaboration between the two countries, said the joint statement.
