U.S. Water News Online
SINGAPORE -- Malaysia's high commissioner to Singapore said progress has been made in resolving a heated spat over water between the neighboring countries, a newspaper reported.
The city-state of Singapore gets more than half its water by pipeline from much-larger Malaysia under agreements made in 1961 and 1962.
Under the deals, Malaysia sells raw water to Singapore for 3 Malaysian sen (US$0.01) per 1,200 gallons.
Malaysia says the price is far too low, but Singapore says Malaysia missed its chance to make changes when the prices were up for review in the mid-1980s.
``There has been quiet progress being made outside of media reactions,'' said N. Parameswaran in an interview with The Straits Times.
Both countries' governments took out advertisements in international newspapers and published booklets to give their respective arguments on the issue.
Singapore and Malaysia were united briefly in 1963, after their independence from Britain, but they split two years later amid bitter political differences. They've repeatedly bickered over numerous issues from water sales to military airspace.
``You get angry from time to time. So what? It happens to friends,'' the paper quoted Parameswaran as saying. ``A bad taste remains for some years after divorce.''
To help mend fences, he suggested bringing back friendly sporting events between the two countries' civil services -- a staple of the relationship in the 1970s and 1980s.
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