“On SEB’s proposed development of the 1,000MW Baram dam in northern Sarawak, Ahadiah said the Sarawak government had decided to continue with the project’s site investigation, social enviromental impact assessment (SEIA) study and resettlement action plan.
We are planning to resume the remainder of the soil investigation works at sites which was halted due to disruption from a small group of protesters led by a handful of activists affliliated to foreign NGOs (non-governmental organisations) with veiled political agenda.
The SEIA study in in the final stage and its report is near completion,” she added. Ahadiah said SEB would need to get feedbacks from stakeholders and approvals from the authorities before going ahead with the proposed dam construction.”
SEB likes to brand any outsiders who choose to speak up on behalf of Sarawak’s indigenous peoples as having a political agenda. In reality, these communities are standing up for themselves. Communities set to be affected by the Baram dam celebrated the 100th day of their blockade last week.
And what about the corruption agenda that is driving the dam proposal? Sarawak Report has proven extensive links between companies connected to the Chief Minister and the dams/SCORE.
SEB says they will get feedback from stakeholders before going ahead with the proposed dam, but communities in Baram have been vocal from the start! They do NOT want the Baram dam. What is the point of a social & environmental impact assessment if it is not made public?
Local activist Peter Kallang stated last week that: “The government doesn’t seem to want to listen to us at all. All bargaining is useless and pointless. Because only one man – the chief minister Abdul Taib Mahmud controls everything.”