KUCHING : The ethnic communities in the Tutoh / Apoh areas of rural Belaga in Sarawak have sent a petition to Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Abang Openg demanding for a community engagement and consultation on the state's proposed electricity-generating cascading dams.
The undated petition, containing 650 signatures, were sent in response to Abang Johari's Jan 28 declaration that the state government would not force the communities to accept the project and it would only be implemented if the locals agree to it.
The petitioners stated the communities of Tutoh/Apoh - the Kayans, Penans, Terings, Berawans and a spatter of other smaller groups - are "deeply troubled" by the plan to construct the cascading dams on three rivers there – Sungai Gaat in Kapit, Sungai Belaga in Belaga, both in central Sarawak and Sungai Tutoh in Baram in the northern part of the state.
They stated the proposal is troubling because no public and stakeholders' consultation had been carried out and they said this goes against their free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) rights as outlined in the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Indigenous People (UNDRIP) in which Malaysia has adopted and signed.
"Because there are no known major efforts of consulting us, we are left in fear of what it means for us as communities living in these affected areas," they said.
They added no known social or environmental impact assessments (SEIAs) were carried out on the project and since the Sungai Tutoh is linked directly to Mulu National Park, a Unesco world heritage site, they want to know how the cascading dam will affect the ecosystem of the world renowned national park.
The environmental conservancy group, SAVE Rivers, spearheaded the petition collection with its managing director Celine Lim saying they ran this petition "after repeated discussions with the communities affected in the Tutoh/Apoh Baram area."
SAVE Rivers is behind the successful drive to send the proposed Baram hydroelectric dam into a moratorium in 2015.
"It is important that we show what the majority consensus is on this issue from the ground-up," Lim said.
"We are not against development," Ding Laing, a native of Long Panai, one of the villages along the Tutoh river, said.
"But we are very concerned when development projects are brought up in a manner where we as the affected communities are never first approached and informed of it.
"So to suddenly read about it in the papers, we became very concerned."
Laing said Long Panai residents had in fact in November last year written to the Premier's office requesting more information and engagement.
They have not received any response, he said.
Similarly, PKR senator Abun Sui Anyit has also disputed Abang Johari's claim that the communities along the three rivers had given him the "green light" to go ahead with the project.
Abun, who is also PKR's Hulu Rajang branch chief, said as far as he is concerned, "no local community or individual within the local community has claimed to have given this green light."
He said the people in Belaga district now want to know from Abang Johari which local community gave him the "green light."
"The people of the Belaga do not oppose progress, but a comprehensive engagement is necessary, especially with the affected communities.
"We believe the people of Belaga do not want history to repeat itself," he said alluding to the promises made in connection with the construction of the mammoth Bakun and Murum hydroelectric dams.
Abun said the voices of those affected by these dams are still being heard today.