Wednesday, October 1, 2008

It is worth building?

First of all Selamat Hari Raya. Hope that all of you have a safe journey back and come back safely. I don't know when I am going back but it might be soon.

I am thinking why does the Sarawak state need so many hydro power dam. The latest, Murum dam project is about 3 billion, started a few days back. But there is another mega-dam project in Sarawak located in the central, Bakun which costs over 800 million. I do understand that all this are being done for the greater benefit of the people's in Sarawak.

But have to remember that some places are the Sarawak native people's village. Why can't there be a few dams which will supply the power and what power are we talking about? Electricity for the people? or to generate power to store in Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB)? These are some of the questions that the government should make clear and as far as I'm concern I'm worried about the people living in the village. If lets say, the government wants to improve their living style, the people have to obey. Don't tell me government wants to provide proper home, facilities and all but have to develop the place, I don't see the harm of cooperating.

Over the next decade there is about 12 dam project in Sarawak alone. I am very sure that alot of native people's home has to be sacrificed but why so many dam's ? Most of the Sarawak is still covered by forest the power which is to be created is for who? Raymond Abin of the Borneo Resource Institute (Brimas) said , for energy needs in Sarawak, we don't need the Murum, because Bakun is more than enough to supply the state's needs.

Penan people are likely to be effected and I really think that building quite a number of dam's means that the will be a major loss of flora and fauna and loads more. I do understand we have to sacrifice something in order to get something better but, we can avoid making unnecessary sacrifice which will in the short term lower down the cost of spending, save the native people's culture and give them a life and in the long run there will be still flora and fauna where the new generation can experience so that they too can have a chance.

hydropower projects in sarawak 2008 2020 murum

1 comment:

ling said...

dey why spell my "L" huruf kecik lah. cis.