Muhyiddin: Singapore threatened war if not given water
Malaysia Today talked about the greatest land scam in Malaysian history and Muhyiddin talks about Singapore threatening to go to war with Malaysia over the supply of water
(Bernama) – Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday regretted opposition claims that he had sold a piece of land to Singapore when he was Johor mentri besar.
He said he was being slandered so that the people would hate him and the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.
"I wish to clarify that (during my tenure as Johor mentri besar) I had never sold even an inch of land to Singapore and that this (allegation) is a mere slander," he said at a ceramah at Tanjong Putus in conjunction with the by-election for the Permatang Pasir state seat here last night.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the opposition made the allegation because it did not know that a water treatment plant had existed in the Sungai Lingu area in Bandar Tenggara, Johor.
"I have to reply because the opposition is spreading lies… what actually transpired was that when I was the mentri besar, I received a call from Dr Mahathir (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad) one day," he said.
Muhyiddin said Dr Mahathir had summoned him to attend a meeting in Kuala Lumpur with then visiting Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew over gas pipeline and water supply issues.
He said during the meeting between Dr Mahathir, the then finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, Lee and him, Lee had pressed for adequate water supply to the republic from Johor.
"Lee said Singapore was ready to go to war if Malaysia did not want to supply enough water and expressed his regret over the stalled water supply project from Sungai Lingu.
"I said we did not have the money and Lee said Singapore was willing to bear the cost and when completed, the assets will be owned by Malaysia, so Singapore had merely footed the bill," said Muhyiddin.
EDITOR'S NOTE
Malaysia Today wrote about something else and he replies something else. See the article here: http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/25804/84/
