Ulu Papar folks repeat stand: Scrap the Kaiduan Dam project

Kota Kinabalu: Villagers in Ulu Papar are worried about their future in view that the State government is still bent on pushing the construction of the Kaiduan Dam.The government should instead make efforts to seek alternative ways to secure long-term water supply needs for the West Coast.

Sabah Save Rivers (SSR) spokesperson Mary Giun said those living in Ulu Papar have worked hard to build their homes and villages.

They have no desire of letting go of their ancestral land even if they were compensated or on the argument that the project is a development need.

"Today, we feel angry and we feel what we have is no longer secure. Ulu Papar is our home, it is our only home," she said.

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"We are done with listening since 2009 about justifications for this dam. We also acknowledge that we barred those carrying out studies from entering our villages, as they did not follow the correct protocols of engaging with us."

Mary said this in reaction to a recent statement by Parti Bersatu Sabah Secretary-General Datuk Johnny Mositun who said local communities should listen to all sides before deciding to accept or reject a project.

He was also quoted as saying that communities should engage the authorities in formal dialogue without interference from "third parties with vested interests."

Mary said it was unclear what Mositun meant by third parties who had vested interests in stopping the project.

"This is our struggle. We repeat our stand that the State government must scrap the project.

"If he (Mositun) were in our shoes, would he need third parties to influence him to protect his home from being encroached?" she asked in the statement.

She said villagers have all they need and have never gone hungry as nature has provided for them, and in turn, communities continue to protect the area and live in harmony with their surroundings.

There was no price tag as to what the value of Ulu Papar is in terms of cultural heritage and its role as a watershed, and therefore, the issue of compensation does not even rise.

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"We are also upset that recently several people claiming to be representatives from several departments, including the Statistics Department and Water Department, entered Kampung Terian and Buayan without informing us earlier.

"They were not courteous in their conversations with villagers and argued that youths who work in nearby towns cannot be counted as living in these villages. These are all dirty tactics to justify the need for the dam," Mary said.

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