..... Given all these factors, we should have renewed the water agreement. Even if the Malaysians want 100 times more (RM$3) per thousand gallon, it will still be much more cheaper than Newater or desalination..... He let his ego interfere and ended up in a pissing match with Madhatter. In the end, WE are the losers.
Very simplistic thinking - fortunately we have voted in sufficient men-in-white to think the future for you.
How much would you pay for national security and for a peace of mind for you, your family and your children?
Mahathir has always publicly threatened to cut our water supply - they and the UMNOs boys have always been shouting "potong, potong!" Mahathir didn't want 100 times more ringgits, he wanted 1000 times more - we know that was simply an excuse, a poker bluff. LKY can see through him. Lesser leaders (as seen in recent Ge or PE elections) would have fallen for the trick.
Future not-so-friendly Prime Ministers or Agungs will not be any different. Although we know that they are simply prancing or shadow-dancing, it doesn't do us good, or anybody who is considering investing long term billions of dollars such as our integrated resorts or hi-tech wafer fabrication, pharmaceutical factories.
We have stated in no uncertain terms that should Malaysia renegade on the water agreement, we are ready to send in our precious NS boys over to pay them a visit. The cost is unimaginable. Now we are saying "terima kasih kawan/abang, we have enough water. We are presenting our water facilities to you in tip-top conditions. We know your weapons are now good for firing blanks." Even the agreement with the Indons to supply us with water is put on cold storage - because the Indons will simply copycat Mahathir, just as they did with the sudden cut in sand and granite. We still get sand, we still get granite and we still get water. Isn't this a great feat of a great leader?
Some ignorant Sporeans are unaware we are exporting good clean water. The thousands of planes at Changi and ships at our ports are loading our desalinated and Newater onto their vessels. The thousands of hotel guests are drinking water straight from the taps if they choose to. They are paying much more than we residents pay. You pay the CEOs millions of dollars so that they can make more millions for you. You pay CEO thousands of dollars, they will make a few more thousands for you. And of course if you pay peanuts, you only get monkeys to work for you.
If we consider water as not only an economic but a vital strategic resource, then it is worthwhile to be self-sufficient. If we can be self-sufficient in sand, the Indons will be having nightmares. Why don't the Indons and M'sians threaten us with cutting of their supplies of vegetable and fruits and eggs - obvious to them we have many other alternative sources - from as far away as Europe or USA.
PM Lee, Emeritus SM Goh and Paramount Leader LKY have always said - think of the big picture, think long term. We must build confidence in our future. While we listen to the dull and the ignorant (aka Desiderata), it is wise to listen to the
three wise-men.