Cost of Bakun HEP not within my jurisdiction — Wong

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KUCHING: Second Minister of Finance Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh yesterday refused to comment on allegations by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) pertaining to the escalating cost of the Bakun hydro-electric project.

According to him, the matter is not within his jurisdiction.

“Let PKR say what they want. We will come up with the clarification later,” he told reporters after the presentation of minor rural project (MRP) grants at his office in Bangunan Baitulmal here yesterday.

Wong was asked to comment on PKR’s state information chief, See Chee How’s request for a clarification on Bakun’s cost that increased from RM3.95 billion in 1983 to RM15 billion today.

“No comment. That is in fact a federal project,” he answered.

On Monday, See released a press statement with the heading “Bakun is not just a white elephant, it is an economic rip-off”.

In the statement, See said that Malaysians have been kept in the dark on the final cost of the project and its economic viability.

See added that the estimated cost was RM3.95 billion and RM4.09 billion

in 1985.

“An independent investigative study in the form of a Royal Commission of Inquiry or a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry should be set up to find out the final cost of the Bakun Hydro-electric Project and where the money has gone to.

The commission should also re-examine the cost-benefit analysis and the economic viability of the project as it is today,” See said.

He added that the state government owed Sarawakians an explanation and he requested Second Planning and Resource Management Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan to provide justification for saying that the Bakun project would not become a white elephant.

“This is because of all Malaysians, Sarawakians have paid their share of the RM15 billion in cost and we are now to fork out another RM7 billion to buy over the federal project. What is the actual cost to all Sarawakians? And we have not included the socio-economic and environmental costs which all Sarawakians have to bear,” he said.

“This will be one of the main issues to be highlighted by Pakatan Rakyat in the coming state election,” See said.