THE Sarawak government’s decision to go ahead and build a hydroelectric dam on the Trusan River in Lawas had made former chief minister Adenan Satem’s assurance not to pursue a policy of building any more dams worthless, PKR Sarawak chairman Baru Bian said today.

Baru said he was surprised by the announcement made by Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg at Sarawak Energy Bhd’s Raya gathering in Kuching last Friday, adding the words of the late Adenan carried little weight now.

“We did not expect the government would still plan to build more dams, especially since its previous policy was not to pursue it any more,” he said.

“The late chief minister said categorically that there was no need for more big dams.”

Abang Johari had said the decision to build the dam, which could generate 275MW of electricity based on studies made “three to four years ago”, was due to renewed interest from Brunei in buying “cheap” electricity from Sarawak to power homes and light industries in its territory of Temburong.

He said Sabah had also shown similar interest in buying hydro power from the state.

While SEB chairman Hamed Sepawi said the state power company would have to revisit their studies to determine when they could start building the dam, a few years ago Abang Johari said the state could supply power to Brunei by 2019.

The Trusan dam, one of 12 hydroelectric dams the state proposed to build to meet its projected power needs and those of its neighbours, is considered “very small” compared to the state’s three mega dams: Bakun with a 2,400MW installed capacity, Murum (944MW) and just-started Baleh (1,285MW).

The Baleh dam is scheduled to be completed in 2025.

Baru, who is also the assemblyman for Ba Kelalan, hinted of deception in the decision to go ahead.

He said the then Second Minister of Planning and Resource Management Awang Tengah Ali Hassan replied that “both dams are still in the feasibility study stage” when he asked about the status of the then-proposed Lawas and Trusan 2 dams during the budget sitting in November 2014.

Baru said this was contrary to Hamed’s disclosure.

Hamed told reporters after the gathering the feasibility studies for the dam were completed four years ago.

“I would be interested to know what the actual situation is with regard to how the decision was made to build the dam, and what sort of studies had been done in the past.

“When even the chairman of SEB expresses surprise, you wonder whether it was a decision made on impulse without consulting other stakeholders and experts.”

With the construction now a forgone conclusion, the lawmaker is seeking assurances from the government that it “must ensure proper and thorough surveys are carried out, including the EIA (environmental impact assessment) and SEIA (social environmental impact assessment) statements after full consultation with the people affected” in the event the project is to go ahead.

“Where there are native customary rights (NCR) claims, the government must assure the people that they will be properly compensated.”

He said the compensation “must not be based on the government’s narrow view of temuda, but on the adat of the people, which extends NCR to pemakai menoa and pulau galau”.

“The state government should also guarantee that the whole of the Lawas and Ba Kelalan areas be supplied with grid power supply and proper infrastructure, including good tar-sealed roads.” – July 26, 2017.