Regret that long-standing leaders could not resolved outstanding issues between two countries

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Regret that long-standing leaders could not resolved outstanding issues between two countries

Media Statement
by Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew

(Petaling Jaya, Friday): It's most regrettable that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew, being the supreme leaders of Malaysiaand Singaporefor more than two decades, could not resolved long-standing and outstanding issues and conflicts between the two neighboring countries.

Both PM Mahathir and SM Lee should have made use of their positions and relationship to work out solutions for outstanding issues such as water, airspace, KTM land, CPF, Batu Putih (Pedra Branca) and the third causeway, when the two countries were enjoying friendlier relationship and greater political stability.

Not only both leaders could not resolve these issues at hand; they were even seen to play up these issues in the respective countries for political mileage.

Take the water issue for instance.

Both the government leaders do not give the full picture to their citizens. Many Singaporeans were not aware that their government was paying 3 sen per thousand gallon of raw water from Malaysia; and most Malaysians do not know that Malaysiawas getting clean water from Singaporewith a discounted price (Malaysiapays 50 sen per thousand gallons).

Even with the release of a book on the part of Singapore, and the current series of advertisements put up by the Malaysian authority, Singaporeans and Malaysians in general still do not get the real picture of the conflict. The much talked about book and advertisements do not seem to be helpful for the citizens of the two countries to understand the issue. They only serve to satisfy the ego of the leaders of the two neighbors.

The water issue should not be too difficult to resolve. There exists a willing buyer and willing seller situation. Malaysia has plenty of raw water to sell and Singapore needs to buy a lot of it from Malaysia. If our forefathers could reached an agreement before the independence and also in 1961, there is no reason why PM Mahathir and SM Lee could not do the same.

Both governments should stop the media war immediately in the interest of the citizens of both countries. The ordinary citizens should not be paying for price for the animosity kicked up by the government leaders.

Both governments have proven that they can work together in tackling the SARS problem. We urge PM Mahathir and SM Lee to use their influence positively, getting the top leaders of the two countries to return to the negotiation table as soon as possible before our relationship deteriorates to an irrepairable level.

(19/7/2003)

* Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew, DAP national publicity secretary