FEBRUARY 23 — Taskforce Against Kaiduan Dam, now Papar Dam (TAKAD) from Penampang and Save Papar River Committee from Papar deeply regret and express our strongest protest to a recent statement released by Datuk Peter Anthony in The Borneo Post on February 18, 2020 titled “Papar Dam Project to proceed as planned”. Datuk Peter also went on to say that the mega dam doesn’t affect the people of Penampang as the proposed site have been moved to Papar. We regret to learn that the Sabah government decides to merely make an insignificant shift in location instead of scrapping the dam entirely due to environmental and indigenous peoples concern.
The statement from the Minister sadly reveals that he despite coming from an indigenous background fails to understand that the mega dam affects indigenous peoples of the said river, regardless of location as it is all about the rights of indigenous peoples in Sabah. This is stated due to the magnitude of the mega dam and the effect on the river for both the people and environment in its entirety. Rich green land and river is lifeline and way of life with sacred ancestral tradition attached to it as our identity. We are indigenous peoples who live and rely on nature. We are not urban settlers who live in lots and rely on modern amenities.
According to a policy paper published titled “The Limits of Social Protection: The Case of Hydropower Dams and Indigenous Peoples’ Land by Fadzilah Majid Cooke, Johan Nordensvard, Gusni Bin Saat, Frauke Urban and Giuseppina Siciliano, large hydropower dams present immense social and environmental challenges for local communities, which can include resettlement of affected individuals and communities, psychological stress, loss or decline of livelihood and assets, changes to lifestyles and traditions, impacts on fishing, agriculture and food security, impacts on access to and quality of water and a wide range of environmental adverse effects. We have also in the past sent a memorandum to the Chief Minister of Sabah and the Prime Minister of our protest and to seek an alternative to mega dam as in the form of natural water catchment as a sustainable method suggested by Professor Dr. Felix Tongkul of University Malaysia Sabah to aid the government to tackle the clean water situation in Sabah. Until today, we haven’t receive any feedback or response but just news that the mega dam will proceed with only a minor shift in location.
Till date we, the people affected by the decision are still in dark over the issue of actual needs and capacity assessment for a mega dam. All we hear and read are statements and comments which some are clearly conflicting and sometimes confusing. There is no comprehensive report made public for our reference either to collaborate with the government that we voted for. We are also not engaged and consulted on an important decision that will affect our lives and future in our only remaining ancestral land. To worsen the predicament, it was just recently reported that the study for water storage and capacity and needs is still ongoing and relevant authorities are still collecting data.
We are also puzzled why the Warisan Pakatan government is pushing for this mega dam urgently and in secret while all the issues as stated above and with the controversial appointment of the State Water Department’s Director and the Departments’ corruption case still remain unresolved.
Sabahans need to know the truth behind the increasing demand and capacity assessment for a mega dam. We as the indigenous peoples of Penampang and Papar again repeat our protest and objection to the Mega Dam. We hereby call for an Independent Commission to Study the Proposed Papar Dam inclusive of experts from both Sabah, Federal and International to study the actual demand and capacity as well as impact on indigenous peoples and environment in an open, transparent, inclusive and objective manner. The government elected by the people must prioritise the people, especially the vulnerable indigenous peoples and nature, not contractors and profit.
*This statement is released by Diana Sipail, spokesperson for TAKAD and Jacly Lasimin, spokesperson for Save Papar River Committee, on behalf of their organisations.
**This is the personal opinion of the writer or organisation and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
