Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s decision to go ahead with the RM4 billion Baram hydro-electric power project that will submerge 26 longhouses and displace more than 20,000 natives in Ulu Baram despite strong opposition to it has again come under strong fire.

“Taib’s statement is very mischievous, smacks of arrogance and is in blatant disregard of the laws and established rules,” Sarawak PKR’s Baram division chairperson Harrison Ngau said in a statement today.
 
“The construction of a dam requires environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies to be undertaken and a study that finds the construction unjustified means the project must be rejected,” Harrison (left) said.

Referring to Taib’s decision to build the dam together with the Baleh Dam, he added: “As far as we know, the EIA and even all the required feasibility studies are yet to be displayed for public comment.

“After this, the projects have to be reviewed by, for example, the Natural Resources and Environment  Board (NREB), which will then determine whether to approve or reject the implementation of the proposed dams.

“I would like to remind Taib that since he is also the minister of resource planning and environment, and therefore in charge of NREB, and considering that his family’s companies, such as CMS and its subsidiaries, may lobby to supply cement, steel and related products for the construction of the dams and access roads, he could therefore have a direct hand in the projects.”

Sarawak not your personal property, Taib told

Harrison went on to remind Taib that Sarawak is not his “personal property” and that he does not have a blank cheque to simply dictate what he wants when matters of public interest, and more so multi-billion ringgit dam projects that will have implications on the financial future of all Sarawakians, are involved.
 
“This is why all Sarawakians must think critically and also analytically scrutinise all decisions made by our political leaders that involve huge amounts of public funds and massive and irreversible destruction of pristine environments, added Harrison, a native customary rights (NCR) lawyer and social activist.

On speculation that Taib will soon resign as chief minister, Harrison, a former MP for Baram, said Taib would not step down as he had a number of major projects in the Sarawak Corridor for Renewal Energy (SCORE) that are yet to be implemented.

“Taib is drunk with power and greedy for more wealth. And (Prime Minister) Najib Abdul Razak is now weak, so he cannot pressure Taib to step down.

“Taib has divided the Dayaks, Malays and Chinese and he has destroyed the Sarawak National Party, Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak, Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party and now the Sarawak United People’s Party,” Harrison said.

He predicted that Taib’s next target would be Parti Rakyat Sarawak, which is the second biggest state BN party after PBB, which Harrison said is a potential threat to PBB and to Taib - and which the chief minister would therefore destroy.

He said Taib had already made billions of ringgit from timber extracted from Sarawak’s forests and that his next ‘ATM card’ would be the rivers, over which Taib would build as many dams as possible.

“So he will not step down. He needs to remain in power to ensure that billions of ringgit more will be made for his family members and cronies,” Harrison claimed.

“Additionally, Taib’s cronies, the Chinese tycoons, would also have nudged him to stay on because he is their pot of gold.”