Published on: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 |
LUYANG Assemblywoman Melanie Chia said Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) is not against the move to provide more stable and sufficient supply of electricity to the people.
"We also want the rakyat to get continuous and sufficient electricity (but) through other alternatives like hydro and gas," she said in her Budget debate speech.
Unlike other assemblymen who received minimal interruptions from the other members of the House when debating the Budget, it was not plain sailing for the SAPP Wanita chief.
The moment she delved into the coal-fired power plant issue, one after another Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblyman, almost all from the East Coast, stood up to interrupt asking for "clarifications".
It began when Chia said the construction of the coal-fired power plant would be detrimental to the marine life and its potential for the aquaculture industry development in Darvel Bay covering Lahad Datu, Kunak and Semporna.
At this point, Bugaya Assemblyman, Datuk Ramlee Marhaban asked the method used by Chia to determine the aquaculture industry would be affected if the coal-fired power plant is built at the (Dent Peninsular) Lahad Datu.
"Show the proof É it is not the style of the (State BN) government to do things hastily but everything is done after proper and thorough studies," he said.
Chia replied that the industry would be affected by the chemical content being discharged from the plant into the sea.
Just as she was about to move on, Assistant Finance Minister Datuk Tawfiq Abu Bakar Titingan who is also Apas Assemblyman asked if she has no confidence in the role of the Department of Environment.
He said based on Chia's statement, it was clear that she had already decided to go against the project even though the project has yet to get its Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report done.
Right after she stated that SAPP did not wish to object to the move to give better and sufficient power supply to the people albeit through an alternative source, Ramlee stood up again.
Before Chia could respond to him, another assemblyman, Suhaili Said from Tungku stood up showing a Daily Express clipping on the statement by the SAPP CLC Tungku chief.
Rather than asking for clarifications, Suhaili went on to speak about the clean coal technology and that if the plant is built in Kampung Sinakut, Felda Sahabat, it would be the seventh such facility in the country.
Speaker Datuk Juhar Mahiruddin, however, called on Suhaili not to make a statement as he was supposed to ask for clarification.
Chia then continued saying that based on a Petronas report, Sabah has an abundance of natural gas resources and she asked the reasons for the gas in Kimanis not being used in Sabah but channeled to Bintulu which is 500km away and costing RM1.6 billion apart from the RM1.4 billion needed for the infrastructure and complex in Kimanis.
Chia also read the reply by the Energy Minister to the Tawau MP at the Dewan Rakyat about channeling electricity through the East-West Grid.
At this juncture, Tawfiq said it was very risky to have the power plant in West Coast to supply all the electricity to the East Coast via the East-West Power Grid especially in the event of natural disasters.
"Is it not better to build another power plant in the East Coast so as to balance the power supply?," he said. "This is getting too technical but this is the answer from the Minister," she said. Shortly, Ramlee again stood up saying "those who are feeling the suffering are us in the East Coast so it should be the people from the East Coast who should object (if they want to)".
Chia responded that she was making the statement as a Sabahan and that the people in East Coast might be unaware about it.
"Is the BN government not caring for the people? Don't underestimate our level of awareness," said Ramlee angrily resulting in the Speaker asking him to cool down.
"I believe the Luyang Assemblywoman does not feel what we are feeling É so don't blame the Government if the people remain in the dark but blame the opposition," retorted Gum Gum Assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Edris.
Tenom Assemblyman, Datuk Rubin Balang asked: "Does Luyang have other alternatives because to channel gas from Kimanis it will be too expensive?"
Chia who had her emergency motion for the current sitting to be adjourned to allow the call for the scrapping of the proposed coal-fired power plant project to be specifically discussed by the House denied on Monday, calmly declined to give way to any more interruption.
She moved on to the issue of the publication of the bond worth RM544 million by the State Government, expressing her concern that the State Government must pay the amount in full in five years when the bond reaches maturity.
"The State Budget must aim for a balanced economy, stable and sustainable," she said.
