updated version Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today criticised environmentalist groups and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for protesting against the development of hydro power plants in poor countries which are energy starved.

"I am very suspicious, especially about the involvement of NGOs from rich countries. Usually, they are responsible for provoking the people and the local NGOs in these poor countries to protest," he said.

"They must know that they are actually perpetuating poverty in those countries," the premier stressed.

Mahathir also questioned whether the NGOs were more concerned about the environment of rich countries than for the well being of the people in poor countries.

"Do they want the poor to continue to be poor?" he queried.

The prime minister said this during his luncheon address at the Asian Oil and Gas conference in Kuala Lumpur.

The conference on the theme 'Balance and Stability: Co-operation Among Consumers and Producers' is to enable participants to exchange views how market forces can throw the energy supply-demand equilibrium off tangent and triggered oil price volatility.

Most viable

Mahathir said it was unfortunate that environmental groups were more concerned about preserving the environment for rich nations and were willing to "cheat the poor people into actually protesting against development for the good of the poor".

"The local NGOs who take up these issues are more interested in politically embarrassing the government than preserving the environment," said Mahathir.

He added local NGOs had never given a thought about the environment before they were instigated by foreign NGOs.

"Now they are prepared to deny development for their fellow citizens who are poor in order to prove that they are not behind their (the NGOs) wealthy counterparts in the rich countries," he said.

Mahathir said hydro power is the most viable and cheapest form of non-polluting power and will reduce the need of thermal power stations which are more polluting and expensive.

He added a poor country can become rich by developing hydro power and selling the excess power that is generated.

High consumption

Mahathir said if hydro power cannot be developed, oil, gas and coal would have to be burnt to generate electricity and this would be more costly due to the technology needed in order to reduce pollution caused by the process.

Today, some 77 million barrels of oil is burnt daily, apart from gas and coal.

"It is time, I think, that we give this high consumption of oil some thought. The high-end users should cut down on their consumption," said the Malaysian premier.

"You cannot ask the poor countries to do this. They don't consume much and their reduction in fuel consumption would not have much effect. Besides, they need the energy for living, not for luxury,"he said.

The government has recently announced that it would proceed with the controversial Bakun dam in Sarawak, shelved a few years ago.

When completed, Bakun will be the biggest dam in Southeast Asia. It is expected to flood an area the size of Singapore and about 10,000 indigenous people have already been relocated.

Bakun has been severely criticised by local and foreign NGOs for destroying the environment and the displacement of indigenous peoples.