Malaysia will uphold the water agreement made with Singapore that was signed back in 1962

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Datuk Seri Najib Razak says Malaysia and Singapore have stuck to the original agreement despite environmental factors recently affecting water supply. ― Picture by Saw Siow Feng

Malaysia says will retain water deal with Singapore

MALAYMAILONLINE

PUTRAJAYA, Dec 13 ― Malaysia will uphold the water agreement made with Singapore that was signed back in 1962, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.

He said, after discussing with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong today, that both parties have stuck to the original agreement despite environmental factors recently affecting water supply.

“We also have discussed water. We've agreed work close together and Singapore gets its share under [the] water agreement.

“Climate change is something which has affected water supply. So water is an issue we have to work [on] closely,” he said during a press conference.

Lee meanwhile reiterated that Singapore's stand on the issue has been clear from start and the discussions today were agreeable by both parties.

“We've made a clear statement on where we stand. We are happy to have agreed on [the] importance of reliable water supply from Johor as agreed earlier and taken necessary measures to allow this to happen,” he said, adding that both Singaporean and Malaysian agencies are “working closely” on the matter.

Singapore, which traditionally buys water from Malaysia, had to supply around six million gallons of treated water per day to Malaysia after the Johor river was polluted earlier this year.