The recent talks that Mahathir is back to his old self by raising the issue of the water agreement with Singapore has received many comments from the Singapore leaders. And the response has not been kind and complimentary. This old dog is insane and running out of tricks. So he is going to give Singapore some hard time on the fate of the water agreement. There may not be another water agreement if Mahathir has his way. He is going to dictate his terms, like $100 per thousand gallons instead of 3 Malaysian cents. With the current exchange rate, the 3c looks even more ridiculous.
Look at it from another angle, Mahathir is actually doing Singaporeans a big favour. Mahathir has reminded Singapore that it should not take the water agreement for granted. Malaysia may just not want to renew the water agreement when it expires without breaching any contractual agreements. And what can Singapore do about it? More desalination plants? How many more and what would be the cost of water if more and more desalination plants are built?
Mahathir is in a way telling the reckless and irresponsible people to rethink about increasing the population to 7m, 10m or 15m or more. Can Singapore go on recklessly increasing its population without taking into consideration the supply of water and other essential services like power and electricity and food, housing and transportation?
The planning premises, that there would always be enough water, with Malaysia supplying a big portion of Singapore's increasing demand for water because it is crazy enough to want to bring in more and more people to inflate the economy for no better reasons, are dicey and precarious. Singapore cannot afford to madly increase its population without solving the water supply problem. Period.
Thank you Mahathir, for waking the daft from their stupor and building castles in the air, that everything is fine, there will always be enough water coming from Malaysia.
Maybe Singapore can think of building a reservoir in the sky, like cloud computing. That would be an innovative way of solving all our water supply problems.
What do you think?
23 comments:
Water is free. It rains from the sky. Mahathir should not charge Singapore any money. Not even 1 cent. PAP MP said so.
Water agreement or any agreement that is to the ridiculous advantage of Singapore cannot be reviewed. Only those not in favour for Singapore can be reviewed. Singapore Minister said so.
So Dr Mahathir you better don't play play with our school boys. They are very smart, you know? But you can ask them how many fathers they have. This is okay.
We already have reservoir of urine from 2.5 million resident foreigners for NEwater.
Dr M will never forgive Singapore after LKY humiliated him during the Asian Financial Crisis. He was made to wait for hours before being turned down when he asked for a loan. Now he is back to haunt the son of his nemesis. HSR, water, OBOR, etc will be used as weapons to hit Singapore. A Cold War between the 2 countries have started.
i m 1 dat wooden trouble elder.
Same old game. Big bully small. Everytime money not enough, squeeze the less power. Everywhere the same. Just like papies squeeze the people, china threaten taiwan, us threaten nk. Sinkies better migrate to bigger countries like au, uk or us and not wait to long as age is an important factor.
Mahathir has not changed and will never change. He is a vindictive man, like our old man, and is out for revenge. Never take Anwar at face value as well. Lets see how the two will face up in days to come.
Mahathir already had his chance to review the price of raw water in 1987 under the agreement, when the other old man was still around. But he lost the battle of wits to the other old man and is very sore. He wants revenge. What better time than now, with the new people in charge here, and the other old adversary gone, and he thinks all are going to be easy meat.
Mahathir, in fact, lost his plot in his first term as PM. The country has been decimated by his 'Ketuan Melayu' policy which gives priority in everything, including good jobs, to the Malays, not on merit but on race, thus forcing the other races to find better paying jobs in Singapore. Honestly, Malaysian Chinese and Indians, no matter how talented, are side-lined, and when they came to Singapore to study, they remained, because they are treated equally based on meritocracy, not on race in the workforce.
How could Malaysia compete with the Thais, Vietnamese or Singaporeans when talking about luring their talented people back, when they are still unable to get rid of the Bumi first policy after decades, which is the millstone around the nation's neck. This is the paradox for UMNO and Harapan as well. They cannot do without the Malay support, and to have Malay support they have to retain the Bumi policy. These Malaysian Chinese and Indians are prepared to face hardships coming to work in Singapore very early in the morning, day in and day out, because the wages they get here are multiple times those in Malaysia. Would they be that easily lured back?
I for one would welcome the day when Singapore can be self sufficient in water. But that must come with a policy of tempered population increase. They must factor in such demands early and build more desalination plants. It is a possibility, and must be done quickly, and not be held hostage by mad politician across the causeway. Not only is Mahathir the only voice sounding his displeasure. There are lots of other voices, albeit less militant, but still much to worry about, every time they threatened to cut off water. Come 2062, I hope we can tell them to fly kites.
@ 836:
Water might fall from the sky, but it also sprouts from under the earth (artesian well---Australia has millions of them). We also know of underground lakes, and there are even huge FRESH water deposits UNDER the ocean floor
You might think that rainwater is "free", but in some areas it is not: all water which falls belongs to that particular state where there are water-rights laws.
As long as the global population trends upward, and no new sources of fresh, potable water are discovered, water resources will become SCARCE; as they are now.
Singapore's sovereign hedgefunds (yes, they are hedgefunds) have been quietly buying up rural land in cuntries like Australia for water rights . They even have "spies" masquerading as blur-blur civilian-tourists over here looking for "opportunity".
You see RB, the handsomely-paid Animal Farm we have running the show are thinking way ahead of you. You have to understand: Kiasu-kiasi Singaporeans chose kiasu-kiasu govt to look after the shop. We have very expensive things in the shop, and business has been excellent. Water Security has always been a priority (cos without water, we're dead in 3 excruciating days), but everyone takes it for granted and no one mentions it until a curmudgeon with a political agenda like Dr M raises the issue.
"Beggar thy neighbour" policies never work out well. But Singapore needs to step it down by several notches, and engage her neighbours like Malaysia and Indonesia with more understanding. Singapore towers over them in terms of success, per capita PPP-adusted GDP, standard of living, low level of corruption, etc etc. Being really good is grounds for potential ENVY and SCORN from neighbours. The poor guy is always jealous of his rich neighbour...that sort of thing.
What's more, the PAP is run by young punks now, like ViBa who like to ya ya papaya. Mahathir is an old dude, with plenty of fight left in him. The last thing he wants is a bunch of outrageously paid young punks who don't show respect, and come across yaya with a swagger like a Mafia boss.
What's more the PAP backed Najib, got entangled (allegedly) with the 1MDB cluster-fuck...so who canblame Dr M from being pissed?
Dr M is no dummy. Malaysia has water. Singapore needs water. It can get water if Malaysia doesn't sell, but it'll cost a lot more. Malaysia LOSES OUT if they don't sell whatever they can sell for money. Until recently, the oil price has wallowed in the shitter, although it appears to be recovering now. So for around 10 years with a fucked oil price, Malaysia missed out on a substantial amount of revenue.
Also inflation has put strain on the lives of ordinary Malaysians. Liquidity...not really happening. You can move into a condo for a song, but the prices are still ridiculous.
So...any "foreign income" would be welcome...but Mahathir has to play coy and "tarek harga"; it's expected, and who can blame him?
Those of you who are hoping for a population pull back will be dissappointed. No such thing is happening. We're going to hit 6 million soon (5.6 now) at growth rates of 2-3%. The govt will do whatever it takes to not allow the numbers to fall below their sacred birth-death model which they worship with religious devotion, so it's going to go up and up, even after 6 million.
There is no scientific argument anyone can make to falsify the theory that "Singapore CAN support x-million people". So RB's "not enough water" or previously "danger of epidemic" arguments don't fly at all.
Here's the ONLY argument that can be made, but under the current political arrangements it too won't fly:
The INCREASE of population thru IMMIGRTION is only permitted by the EXPRESSED CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED....not the wishes and policies of the government . i.e.: the covenant between the government and the governed must be upheld. The government can only govern by CONSENT.
Chances of that happening: ZERO
RB chins has master the skill of hijacking water from passing clouds so may be sg can learn from them.
China
Could hijacking water from passing clouds be 'cloud seeding' as we know it?
Anyway, for a small island, that may not be effective. The rain may fall far into the sea or across the causeway. China or India are such a big countries and wherever the rain may fall, it still remains inside the country. It works better in big areas.
Actually australia has enough water. they need to use water more wisely. for example, collect washing machine water for flushing toilets rather than using spring water. Australia should union with sing under a treaty. its will yield lots of mutual benefits.
RB - you are a good citizen, you always give good tips for our country, we ordinary citizen greatly appreciate from our heart of your value advice. Hope this is not like playing music to the cow.
Thank you.
@ b:
Yes, water management over here could definitely use a good kick up the arse.
The people who are managing water the best so far---although I am certain entrepreneurs and scientists from other cuntries will join the band---are SINGAPOREANS. If the Aussie govt doesn't go full-retard and forbid foreign commercial activity in the water space, then I think these valiant enterprising types from our homeland will be making....well...money gush like water! Can you believe this shit? It takes savvy foreigners to see "value" and "opportunity" in fucking things which have been in your back yard for millions of years.
But no surprises for me. I have been here > 40 years, living in The Lucky Cuntry...which has 23 million "lucky cunts", who eat so fucking much that over 60% are also fat cunts.
They are so fucking "lucky" over here that their greatest 1st World Problem now is that flights to Bali have been cancelled due to nature fucking up the plans of humans.
People often ask me: "Why you always criticise Australia and continue to live there?", which is an unfair generalization. My opions vary according to CONTEXT. I criticise Aussie govts the most because they over-tax and over-regulate. I am a Singaporean. I grew up learning how to "take cover" so that you could do whatever you like "suka suka", then pocket your profits, and if you have to declare, you only pay SMALL TAX. But...Singapore and Asia is very competitive.
I don't like to work so hard. I prefer lots of dirty sex and outdoor life, and up to a few years ago drinking excessively... These activities are time, effort and focus intensive, but extremely do-able Down Under.
That's why I prefer to compete with "relac-lah-brudder" Mat Salehs than with "kiasu-on-the-bola-work-until-die" Asians. Fuck that. So that's why I stay. Also as a tax payer and a registered voter as a British Subject (thanks to HK ancestry...diu leh lo mo!!), I have basis and "credibility" to complain about taxes. I am Asian, with linage from HK. We don't like taxes, or regulation. It's in my genes :-))
@cloud seeding:
Very fucking expensive way to make rain...and not very effective. Cloud seeding uses silver compounds...being silver, they cost a lot. Also silver compounds don't play nice with our human biology. So you have an expensive, inefficient and biologically harmful method of getting rain. Not the best choice and is used only when all other options have failed.
Nahbeh cheebye lah
PAPies gonna use this as excuse to further increase water tax ... 60% or 100%.
Ministers will tell us "Must increase water tax to remind Sinkies that H2O is precious ... We need more money for shit water plants & salt water plants!"
PAP Minister Lee Yi Shyan: Cost of water is free because it “falls from the sky”
http://statestimesreview.com/2018/06/26/pap-mp-lee-yi-shyan-cost-of-water-is-free-because-it-falls-from-the-sky/
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Cost of urine collected from Singaporeans and locals is free.
Do you think we should pay for our water?
PAP Minister Lee Yi Shyan: Cost of water is free because it “falls from the sky”
http://statestimesreview.com/2018/06/26/pap-mp-lee-yi-shyan-cost-of-water-is-free-because-it-falls-from-the-sky/
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What about the cost of using our young boys for National Service?
Is their labour also free?
Fall from the sky is it?
@359
The Minister comes across like an idiot. The cost of water itself "coming from the sky" (scientifically incorrect... the sky is actually fucking outer space... dumb over paid cocksucker) might be ZERO. Clap clap wah, so clever one...
But the cost of collection, storage, purification and distribution is 100's of millions, perhaps a billion of taxpayer dollars, taken from people's productivity.
We're paying top dollar for these elites to run the show. This guy is falling short of the mark.
Should call him in for interview... he's not making his KPIs ๐
To improve Singaporeans super competitiveness & lives, which has been hampered by a key & critical area (political office appointment holders) is to introduce real competition into a most unproductive & grossly over-paid & pampered sector ie the PAP government, a virtual lock-down monopoly that has resulted in lousy performance with little transparency & accountability in recent decade.
Give the opposition 35% seats in the Parliament, we will see a jump to the well being of Singaporeans; better sovereign wealth management, lower costs & higher productivity across the board.
What is the fuss? Mahathir needs to raise prices much more to remind Singaporeans that water is precious and needs to be saved. Just like our government raises prices to remind our people to save water, as a good neighbor, Abang must teach us to save even more water. Anyway, its our national psyche to love a good beating to feel alive.
@ 3:59 pm
"PAP Minister Lee Yi Shyan: Cost of water is free because it “falls from the sky”"
This minister is a disgrace to the Singapore Government. He speaks like a 10 year-old. So suckingly naive. Whoever recruited him into the PAP and made him a Minister must be even a bigger idiot.
Singapore PAP must have run out of talents. Scraping dirts at the bottom of the river. Or probably this Li is related to the Old Lee in one way or another.
Singaporeans are being taken for a loong lunatic ride down the dry spell.
When clumate change cause flood and droughts, the daft Singaporeans will be in for a real shock. By the making-themselves millionaires' ministers have already set up alternative safe havens for themselves and their descendants.
Daft Singaporeans are the greatest suckers in this world!
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