PENAMPANG – Warisan treasurer-general Terrence Siambun slammed the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah state government for its plans to revive the Kaiduan Dam.
This comes despite Warisan having suggested that a dam be built in Papar when it was administering the state.
Earlier today, Sabah Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin suggested that the dam be built in Penampang instead.
The dam, which was supposed to address the water shortage in Sabah west coast districts, had been proposed since the Barisan Nasional era, but met fierce opposition from local environmental groups and Warisan.
The dam was then known as the Kaiduan Dam.
However, when Warisan took power after the 2018 general election, Datuk Peter Anthony, the infrastructure development minister at the time, announced it would be built in Papar, renaming it to the district.
The Papar Dam proposal was also rejected by the local environmental groups with geologist expert Dr Felix Tongkul proposing to build multiple reservoirs instead of a dam.
“Our stand on the dam is consistent. Moyog (in Penampang) cannot continue to sacrifice for the sake of others by allowing the construction of a dam in the district.
“Moyog alone has already been used to channel treated water supplies to thousands of people via its Kasigui water treatment plant and Babagon Dam.
“We feel other areas or districts should also share the same responsibility,” said Siambun, adding that this was the reason why the previous Warisan-led government had scrapped the Kaiduan dam and later introduced the Papar Dam.
Siambun, who is the former assemblyman for Moyog, also led the anti-Kaiduan Dam movement called “Projek Bantah” between 2013 and 2018.
He said the dam controversy goes beyond environmental concerns, but includes the loss of lands for the people here.
He added that Warisan will not allow large tracts of Penampang land to be taken away. – The Vibes, January 5, 2021
