KUCHING, Nov 18 — The state government has decided to shelf the controversial Baram hydroelectric power dam in Baram, Miri, for now, said Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem.
He said this was because the people in Baram did not welcomed the dam, which is one of the 12 dams that the state had planned to develop and capable of producing 1,200 megawatts of power.
“We will proceed with the implementation of the Baleh Dam in Kapit instead as the people there support the project,” he said when officiating at this year state-level Civil Service Day celebration attended by some 7,500 civil servants from various state and federal departments and agencies.
Adenan said the Baram folks would have themselves to blame if they complaint of the lack of development which mega projects like the Baram Dam could bring in to their areas.
On another matter, he said the state would allow official correspondence be done in both English and the Bahasa Malaysia.
“My strong stand on English has irritated some of the so-called nationalists, who accused me of being anti-nationalistic and anti-patriotic.
“Advocating English has nothing to do with patriotism or nationalism. It is just being realistic,” he said.
He said by not being fluent in both spoken and written English had put many graduates in the country at big disadvantages.
Ï have read in the newspapers that than more than 1,000 doctors in Malaysia who had completed their studies gave up their medical career because of a poor command of English. This is indeed very sad,” he said.
He added it was equally sad that there were 45,000 graduates, who could not find proper jobs due to their inability to speak and write decent English.
Meanwhile on the celebration he advised civil servants entrusted to make decisions to do so fast and decisively.
“This is so when confronting issues affecting the people’s welfare and wellbeing and especially in times of emergencies caused by natural disasters,” he said. — Bernama
