Published on: Friday, October 16, 2009 |
Kota Kinabalu: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) questioned why the elected representatives in Penampang took a long time to come to the defence of villagers when the feasibility study for the RM2.8 billion Kaiduan Dam and proposed 12km treatment plant in Kg Maang was already conducted in May, this year.
The study was believed conducted by a peninsula-based listed company over sites located in Penampang, Papar and Putatan parliamentary constituencies.
"To make matter worse, the reports to the State Government claimed that the site of the construction of the Kaiduan dam has no inhabitants which is clearly misleading," its Treasurer Dr Roland Chia said in a statement.
Dr Chia, who is also the deputy chief of PKR Penampang, said only after the villager plight was highlighted by PKR Sabah as well as environmentalist and NGOs such as Pacos, JICA and JOAS that the authorities and elected representatives began providing all sorts of excuses.
According to him, these NGOs have been providing financial aid up to millions of ringgit to improve the living standards of the villagers.
With the Barisan Nasional (BN) machinery including People's Development Leaders, Political Secretaries and also Community Development Officers in place, he said they should have all the information and feedback from the ground.
But strangely, he said, the over 3,000 villagers were not consulted. Dr Chia said he arrived at the figure of 3,000 based on the 2,000 residents of the 11 affected villagers near Kaiduan and also 1,000 villagers in Kampung Maang.
"The dam would submerge 12 square km of forest and agricultural lands as well as wipe out nine villages that have been there for hundreds of years," he stressed. "This is a violation of the rights of the natives in Penampang because in the United Nations Declaration on the rights of indigenous people, Prior Free and Informed Consent must be obtained, he said, adding Malaysia is a signatory of the Declaration.
Dr Chia said the villages that would be affected from the dam and water treatment projects are Buayan, Terian, Babagon Laut, Timpayasa, Tiku, Longkogungan, Kalanggaan, Pongobonon and Kionop.
In addition, he said agricultural land in the five villages of Bolotikan, Koiduan, Bisuang, Kogopon and Limbahau alongside the Papar river will be severely affected.
This also includes the complete destruction of the historical heritage and the unique biological and eco-system of Papar and the Crocker range, he said. He said the dam would be three times larger than the Babagon Dam that was completed in 1997.
The waters would also submerge ancestral lands in at least 11 villages, he said "The kampungs affected will be from Terian, Babagon Laut, Timpayasah, Tiku, Buayan, Pongobonon, Kionop, Timpangoh, Kalanggaan, Kaiduan and Bisuang," he said.
Dr Chia said of the 11 villages, three are reachable by dirt road on dry days, while the rest are only accessible by foot.
