PRIME Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia will renegotiate a longstanding water supply agreement with Singapore, calling the existing deal as “too costly”, reported financial news agency Bloomberg.

The revival of the water talks, which had in the past been a source of heightened tension between the two countries, comes weeks after Dr Mahathir announced the postponement of the high-speed rail project which was inked between the republic and the government of former prime minister Najib Razak.

Water is among issues with Singapore “that we need to settle”, Mahathir told Bloomberg in an interview on Friday at his office in Kuala Lumpur. 

“We will sit down and talk with them, like civilised people.”

Singapore has relied on Malaysia for nearly half of its water needs through water agreements dating back to 1927. 

The existing 1962 deal, which expires in 2061, gives Singapore 250 million gallons of raw water daily at 3 sen per 1,000 gallons. Malaysia buys back a portion of that, treated, at 50 sen per 1,000 gallons.

During his first tenure as prime minister, Dr Mahathir had at one point threatened to turn off the taps when negotiations hit a rough patch. In response, then Singapore prime minister Lee Kuan Yew said he was prepared to send troops to Malaysia.

In the interview, Dr Mahathir said he would remain friendly with Singapore and other nations but will focus on striking fair deals for Malaysia.

“I think we can benefit from each other,” Dr Mahathir said. 

“We need the expertise of Singapore. Lots of Singapore people invest in Malaysia because it’s much cheaper here.”

Apart from the water deal and HSR project with Singapore, Dr Mahathir has also pledged to review about US$34 billion worth of other projects backed by the Najib government, including a gas pipeline and the East Coast Rail Link that’s estimated to cost RM55 billion.

“We will have to slow down, defer and things like that, simply because we do not have the money,” he said.

The 92-year-old leader also took a swipe at US president Donald Trump, calling him “mercurial” and unpredictable.

“He changes his mind within 24 hours,” he said. 

“When you have a man like that, you need to be cautious,” he told Bloomberg.

As before, Dr Mahathir dismissed his critics, emphasising that his goal is to turnaround the Malaysian economy and achieve developed country status “within the shortest possible time”.

“Whether people appreciate me or not, is not relevant. Once I’m dead, they will say nasty things anyway.” – AFP, June 25, 2018.