Published on: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 |
Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Anglers Association (SAA) President Datuk Wilfred Lingham called on the Government to always act in the interest of the people of Sabah when making a decision that would affect the State.
Referring to the proposed coal-fired power plant in Lahad Datu, he said although the land belonged to Felda, the fact remained that the decision could not be finalised hastily whether based on commercial grounds or the energy needs in the East Coast.
"It will still take time to go through a proper EIA report and it will still take time to build the coal fired power plant. (With) the time it takes to do that, I would have thought the Government could at least explore other alternatives as well," he said, in a statement here, Tuesday.
He added the EIA report should take into account the sensitivity of the areas around the plant and the fact that various studies in the past have confirmed the area was rich in ecology and a key area for conservation.
"The area around Darvel Bay and Tabin Wildlife cannot be described as 'far' in terms of pollution. I think the public deserves to know the company, what methods they'll be using and the measures they intend to take to trap the pollution which can be through the air, soil, rivers and into the sea," Lingham said.
"This will have a significant impact on humans, plant, animal and marine life. As such the EIA report should encompass a comprehensive study on the company's technology as well as their track record elsewhere in terms of corporate environmental responsibilities."
Meanwhile, SAA spokesperson and legal adviser, Nilakrisna James said the reason why non-governmental organisations were hampered in their arguments was because the facts were not being released.
"The company behind the coal fired power plant owes a proper explanation to every individual resident in Sabah because everyone has a right to question the environmental and economic impact this would have on Sabah, irrespective of where they live.
"The Government has to be sensitive to the voices of those who advocate for a cleaner environment. I am frankly surprised that we are taking what should be the last resort to address an energy issue, such as the plant, when it was the Prime Minister who launched Malaysia's National Green Technology Policy this year.
"A commitment was made by the Government to explore the possibility of alternative sources of energy which are universally accepted as environmentally sound," she said.
"I am, as an individual and as a member of SAA, pleading to the Prime Minister to request that experts be enlisted to explore solar, wind, gas, biomass, hydro alternatives in Sabah. Even if it is costly now, technology once readily available will only become cheaper in the future," Nilakrisna said.
"We should reject coal if there is no proof that we have not explored the quality of the grid or shown results from research into the viability of other alternative energy sources."
