KUCHING, Feb 7: In less than two months, a petition opposing the proposed construction of the Tutoh/Apoh cascading dam has reportedly gathered 650 signatures.
According to a press statement issued today, Miri-based civil society organisation SAVE Rivers stated that the petition represents the concerns of 19 communities in the affected area, including the Kayan, Penang, Tering, Berawan, and other ethnic groups.
“We ran this petition after repeated discussions with the communities affected in the Tutoh/Apoh Baram area, and it was important that we show what the majority consensus is on this issue from the ground up,” said SAVE Rivers managing director Celine Lim.
She stated that the petition demonstrates a deep concern about the lack of transparency and consultation in the dam project’s decision-making processes.
“We have, in all our direct communication with Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg’s office since last October, highlighted our deep concern on the lack of transparency and consultation and repeatedly demanded that our Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) as Indigenous People be respected.
“Until today, we have not received any acknowledgment or response to all our letters and inquiries. In fact, their only response is them ‘debunking’ our claims in the press,” she asserted.
Meanwhile, Willie Kajan of Long Terawan questioned the identities of the signatories to approval letters from affected communities received by the State government.
“So far, we have only seen photos of interactions of the government representatives with our government-appointed community leaders, such as temenggong, penghulu, ketua kampung, and other pro-government groups.
“But no one else outside this group is aware of the content of these interactions, and there is no active effort to inform the majority as well,” he claimed.
Furthermore, Senator Abun Sui Anyit, who hails from Belaga, one of the other areas that will be affected by the proposed cascading dam, explained, ”It is better for government themselves to organise general public events for the consultation and consent purposes directly because many of this government-appointed community leaders and even the representatives have failed to organise these sessions themselves.
“Government cannot bulldoze their plan without the open dialogue with all affected parties and this is not reserved just with the community leaders/representatives. Consulting them alone is not majority consent.”
In addition, Kajang Kalo of Long Nen stated that serious concerns have been raised by the lack of feasibility studies and direct consultations with the affected communities.
“We are so confused because no feasibility studies have even been carried out yet, and no direct consultations have been carried out with us. We are the communities that are living in this very area, yet we are still in the dark about the impact of this project,” he remarked.
The press statement noted that the signed petition has been delivered to the Premier’s office, with copies distributed to the appropriate parties.
Lim further explained: “This petition is still ongoing, and based on our on-the-ground interactions with communities, we are confident that we will collect more signatures in the coming months.
“There are plans to highlight these concerns during the upcoming Sarawak Legislative Assembly in May as well. We, as Civil Society Organisation (CSO), continue to advocate for the rights of the affected communities and to demand that all related stakeholders from government agencies, corporate investors, the finance system, and policymakers respect the concerns of the majority and not downplay it as premature or resistance to development.
“Any clean energy transition must prioritise the needs and concerns of the vulnerable and marginalised groups. Decarbonized infrastructure needs to be fair and equitable for all members of society and communities should not be sidelined in the name of climate action.” — DayakDaily
