Villagers take Shafie to task over Papar Dam project
KOTA KINABALU: A grassroots movement that has been protesting against the RM3 billion Papar Dam project is up in arms after caretaker Chief Minister Shafie Apdal announced recently that it will go on.
The Taskforce Against Kaiduan Dam (Takad) said the mega project, which spans four villages in Papar and nine others in Penampang, would destroy the way of life of more than 3,000 villagers.
The group maintains that the Papar Dam is a rehash of the old Kaiduan Dam project initiated by the previous Barisan Nasional government, which they had also protested against.
Its spokesman, Diana Sipail, said Shafie had gone against Warisan’s previous election pledge of scrapping the project entirely.
“The residents of Ulu and Hilir Papar and other villages along the river are disappointed and saddened by the Shafie’s announcement,” she told FMT.
“His statement is seen as arrogant and inconsistent with the promises made by his party which contested in areas affected by the project.”
Shafie had said during an event in Papar on Tuesday the project will proceed to ensure the water problems faced by the district and surrounding areas, including the state capital, could be resolved.
He said although some communities were against the initiative, the state government must look at the overall needs of the people who require clean water supply at all times.
Economist Madeline Berma said the construction of the Papar Dam could address water shortages and electricity problems and provide clean drinking water on Sabah’s west coast by 2024.
“Studies have shown that dams have important roles in utilising water resources,” Berma told FMT.
“However, lessons from the Bakun and Murum mega dams in Sarawak reveal that the construction of the Papar Dam will destroy the environment and violate the rights of the indigenous people who live in the areas.
“The dam will displace the affected communities, and will have a high socio-environmental cost.”
Berma, a fellow at the Academy of Sciences Malaysia, said the government could consider searching for other alternative energy sources to resolve the water and power supply woes.
“Build smaller reservoirs and small-scale micro-hydro (below 100kw) and pico-hydro (below 5kw) hydroelectric schemes which do not require a dam as they run on the river’s natural flow,” she said.
She also said the state government should have prior engagements with the stakeholders.
“It is best that the state government conduct environmental and social impact assessments before a final decision is made to construct the Papar Dam.
“It is the duty of the state government to obtain free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) from the affected communities.
“FPIC entitles indigenous people to effectively determine the outcome of decision-making regarding any project that affects their lands and resources.”
Sipail said the villagers have not been provided transparent and official information on the project.
She claimed their objections have not been heard and neither have they been included in any process to find a common solution.
As such, she said, the group and affected villagers would pursue their struggle at the national and international levels, including taking legal action if their rights to the lands were ignored and violated.
Jackly Laksimin, of the Save Papar River movement, said they could not understand why the state government chose not to consider an earlier alternative suggested by geology expert Felix Tongkul from Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
Tongkul had proposed the construction of reservoirs as opposed to building the dam.
“We had waited for a dialogue with the minister in charge but this has not materialised. There has also been no explanation on the actual location, the planning map and related impact studies,” Laksimin said.
The groups had opposed the Kaiduan Dam project originally planned for Ulu Papar in Penampang. The new dam, to be located in Kampung Mondorongin, Papar, will have the capacity to produce a billion litres of water daily. - FMT
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