MURUM, (Sarawak), Oct 26 — State energy firm Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB) said yesterday that it is waiting on the state government to give the green light to get started on the construction of the Baleh dam in the Belaga district.

SEB chief executive Datuk Torstein Dale Sjotveit said they are ready to start building the 1,300 megawatt (MW) facility.

"Basically, it is a political decision on the part of the state government," the Norwegian said after the launch of the Pesta Penan Murum at the Tegulang resettlement scheme here.

Sjotveit said the Social Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) study has already been approved by Sarawak's Natural Resources and Environmental Board (NREB) early this year.

He added that the year-long moratorium announced by Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem on August 4 does not apply to the Baleh project but instead on the proposed 944MW Baram dam following strong objections from the local communities.

The moratorium is to allow the state government to study feedback from local communities in Baram and the evaluation of expert opinions on the construction of mega dam.

Hulu Rajang MP Datuk Wilson Ugak, who was also present at the press conference, said the construction of the proposed Baleh dam, estimated to cost RM9 billion, does not involve the displacement of people.

"The area above the dam site does not have any settlement as it is far up the Rajang River and near the border with Indonesia," he said.

Wilson added that he had met with Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Ahmad Hamidi for special units of the armed forces to be stationed at the Bakun and Murum dams to protect the state assets.

He said Zahid had agreed to refer the request to the Malaysian Armed Forces to make the decision.

The Bakun, Murum and proposed Baleh dams are located in the Hulu Rajang parliamentary constituency.