A YEAR before work begins on the hydroelectric dams in Sg Nenggiri, Kelantan, the Orang Asli in Gua Musang, Kelantan are urging the state government to come clean on how the project will affect their lives.

A spokesman for the Orang Asli community told The Malaysian Insight the majority of residents in the nearby villages opposed the construction of a pair of flood mitigation dams.

“Although there are certain individuals support the project, many are against it.  They know the project will harm the forest and their villages,” said the man who did not wish to be named.

“What we need now is transparent and reliable information on the project. We need to be informed.

“There is a new environmental impact assessment report on the project; we need to know its findings.”

What was certain, he said, was that the construction work would have large impact on the Temiar and Batek villages during times of heavy rain.

The villages most affected were Kampung Pos Tehoi, Kampung Pos Pulat, Kampung Wias, Kampung Pos Tehoi and Kampung Kuala Wook, he said.

Centre of Orang Asli Concerns founder Dr Colin Nicholas, meanwhile, said the Orang Asli had tried to lobby the former Pakatan Harapan government to review the project before it was ousted.

“We did try to talk to the minister in charge of Orang Asli affairs but we could not continue because there was a change of government,” he said.

Nicholas admitted the Orang Asli were divided on the project.

“Half the Orang Asli are against it and half are supportive of the project,” he said.

In August 2020, Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said preliminary work of the dams was scheduled to commence in March 2022.

He said this included the resettlement of some Orang Asli villages.

Amar said three of the villages in the area would be relocated as they were in the way.

The controversy began in 2015 when the Kelantan Orang Asli Village Committee youth chief Dendi Johari said the flood mitigation plan would destroy the Orang Asli villages.

He said the project would destroy their homes, grave sites and the jungle which was the source of their livelihoods.

“We absolutely object to the construction of the dams,” he had said, adding the Orang Asli were not consulted on the project. – February 17, 2021.