Today (31 Aug) marks a significant event, the expiry of the 1961 Water Agreement.
As arranged, Singapore also handed over to Malaysia (the Johor water authorities, actually), the Skudai and Gunong Pulai water treatment plants, together with two pump houses in Pontian and Tebrau, all of which are in Johor state.
The other major Water Agreement, signed in 1962, as well as a secondary one signed in 1990, both expire in 2061 -- ie 50 years time.
Until then, Singapore's water agency PUB will still operate the Linggiu dam and Johor River water treatment plant in the Malaysian state. The PUB has stated that, come 2061, Singapore would have become self-sufficient in water supply.
I wonder how many Singaporeans appreciate the significance of all these current and future milestones. The water issue was a millstone in Singapore-Malaysia relations for the longest time. Singapore, anticipating political problems in renewing the 1962 Agreement, took steps to expand its own catchment supply (doable up to a point, given our limited land area) and in desalination (very, very, expensive).
Desalination is in fact old technology. Think of nuclear submarines, which became operational in the 1960s. They can stay submerged for months! Where would the crew get their drinking water all that time? The answer: compact desalination equipment onboard. But I'm sure the water tasted yucky!
The breakthrough for Singapore came with the advent of modern filtration methods, ultra-heat treatment, and reverse osmosis. The result: NeWater -- a key additional source of supply -- and with it, a newfound confidence that the Little Red Dot will henceforth not be held hostage to the politics of water.
The process of "desecuritising" the water issue began with the advent of NeWater.
But a key proviso is that the 1962 Agreement continues to be scrupulously upheld by both sides as an internationally binding treaty. In 2003, then Foreign Minister S. Jayakumar made an important address in Parliament which, among other remarks on the bilateral relationship, made plain why the two Water Agreements were crucial to Singapore's survival as a sovereign country.
The link is here. It is a long speech but one worth carefully digesting:
http://www.mfa.gov.sg/internet/press/water/speech.html
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Okay, back to local matters.
The latest issue of the Online Citizen (TOC) carries a cartoon titled "Dr Tan Cheng Bock, latest PAP darling?" by Joshua Chiang. It is a spot-on commentary on recent PAP claims that the Presidential Election results could be seen as a 70 per cent vote for the PAP. Here's the cartoon:
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/08/dr-tan-cheng-bock-latest-pap-darling/
Lastly, one candidate -- the one who lost his deposit -- has gotten into the blame game. See this insing.com piece:
http://news.insing.com/tabloid/tan-kin-lian-blames-tan-jee-say/id-98943e00
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