Water‐Sharing Saga Between Singapore and Malaysia: A Historical Discord Revisited

Abstract

Environmental degradation has manifested as the principal source of nontraditional security threat in global politics. In Southeast Asia, the issue of water sharing between Malaysia and Singapore has created severe tensions since their separation in 1965. Over the years, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members, by applying the principle of noninterference in internal affairs, have resolved a number of outstanding issues. However, the water‐sharing dispute between Malaysia and Singapore has been out of the purview of the principle of noninterference, since the majority of ASEAN members perceived it as a bilateral affair that could not be discussed at the ASEAN platform. Against this backdrop, this article analyzes the rationale and implications of the tension over water resource sharing between Malaysia and Singapore. It offers suggestions for reaching a resolution, in order to build a congenial bilateral and regional atmosphere.