DESECURITIZING THE WATER ISSUE IN SINGAPORE-MALAYSIA RELATIONS : EASIER SAID THAN DONE?

Abstract

This thesis seeks to examine the claim by Joey Long, first made in 2001, that as Singapore augments its water capabilities and reduces its dependence on Malaysia for its water supply, the water issue in Singapore-Malaysia relations will be desecuritized. The paper explains why and under what conditions water in Singapore-Malaysia relations may be securitized or desecuritized. The paper first develops thresholds which could be used to determine objectively if the water issue has been securitized or desecuritized, and then uses these thresholds to elucidate the process by which water has been securitized in Singapore-Malaysia relations. Through the use of these thresholds, I show that contrary to Long's claim, the water issue in Singapore-Malaysia has not been desecuritized despite an expansion of Singapore's water capabilities. I argue that addressing Singapore's deficient water capabilities did not culminate in the desecuritization of the water issue because it overlooks the root cause of the securitization of the water issue: the linkage between the Water Agreements and the Separation Agreement in 1965. Both the Water Agreements are tied to Singapore's raison d'etre and the need to maintain the sanctity of these Agreements initiated the path dependence in the water issue. Hence, far from being desecuritized, there are significant obstacles towards any attempt at desecuritizing the water issue in Singapore-Malaysia relations.