THE Semai Orang Asli of Ulu Geruntum, Gopeng, are angry the Perak government has failed to scrap a mini-hydroelectric project, which has encroached on their ancestral land.

The tribe was hoping Pakatan Harapan would reverse the decision of its Barisan Nasional predecessor to situate the hydro dam in the lush jungles where they have been living for decades.

Despite calls to stop the project from the tribe, activists and other civil society groups, the state government gave the green light for the project to resume last year.

The Semai have been fighting to scrap the project since 2012 because they fear it will destroy the local ecosystem and their livelihood.

Kg Poh pro tem action committee deputy chairman Pak Busu Bamin, 52, said they are disappointed with PH for failing to keep its promise.

“Before the elections, they said if they win, they will stop the project but nothing has happened since they won.

“We were dejected when we found out the state government has given the go-ahead for the project,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

A check by The Malaysian Insight found that earthworks have already begun about 1.5km from the Semai’s homes.

According to Busu, there are about 900 Semai villagers living in the vicinity of the project.

Villagers have been protesting against the project since it was first announced in 2012 and the contract awarded to a company to build 31 mini-dams along three rivers, including Sg Kampar.

The projects would impact eight villages: Kg Helang, Kg Ampang Main, Kg Sg Sat Baru, Kg Sg Sat Lama, Kg Sg Kapur Baru, Kg Sg Kapur Lama, Kg Kepayan and Kg Koh.

BN approved 25 mini-hydro projects across the state in 2012 and another six a year later at a total cost of RM2.92 billion.

The villagers accused the concessionaire, Perak Hydro Renewable Energy Corporation (PHREC), of destroying their crops to build a road during construction and encroaching on their land.

Busu said they will continue to oppose the projects, which they insist should not be built on their land.

“They said that this is state land but our ancestors have been living here for decades and now they come here and destroy this lush green jungles.

“They know that this is ancestral land but yet they still encroach on this area.

“We will continue to protest until the project is stopped.”

Busu also said after erecting eight new bamboo huts for their families, Perak Hydro then sent the tribe a letter to tear them down.

“They gave us one week from January 29 to dismantle the huts if not they will take action.

“We are not going to budge and we are going to protect our huts.”

The letter sighted by The Malaysian Insight stated that the Semai tribe had built huts on an area reserved for the power station.

Another villager Udatiah Bahadim, 55, said in 2017, contractors bulldozed their way through an ancestral cemetery destroying about 40 to 50 graves.

“The contractors were building a back road from RTC Mydin to the project site and had cut through the graves which has been around for decades.

“Despite telling them there are graves there, they didn’t bother and bulldozed their way through, saying that they got orders from the state government.

“Why can’t they just divert the road. Is this how we are being treated now? This is not fair.”

Jamahuri Ahmad Japilos, 38, who manages the Gopeng Adventure white water-rafting company said they are still sceptical about the project.

“At first, we didn’t want any development here but we decided to compromise when PHREC told us about using green tech and they would not allow logging in the area.

“If there is logging, then it will destroy the rivers, environment and the eco-tourism business here.

“They had promised us to all that. If they don’t follow through with their promises, then we will protest again.” – February 3, 2020.