No need for new ministry

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NEW TEACHERS: Graduates of Tun Abdul Razak (TAR) Teachers Institute Samarahan campus and Teachers Institute Miri celebrating after their convocation at Kota Samarahan yesterday. — Photo by Jeffrey Mostapha

Taib rejects idea of a ministry to resettle people affected by dam construction

KOTA SAMARAHAN: Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud yesterday said there is no need to set up a ministry or an agency to take charge of resettlement of people affected by major hydroelectric dam projects in the state.

He added as construction of dams were periodic there would not be enough jobs for the ministry to handle after their construction.

“It is not necessary to form it (the ministry). There will be no jobs for them to handle,” he told reporters.

He said this after attending a joint convocation ceremony of Tun Abdul Razak (TAR) Teachers Institute Samarahan campus and Teachers Institute Miri campus held at the hall of the teachers institute here yesterday.

Taib was responding to a call by Minister of Land Development Tan Sri Dr James Masing to set up a ministry to look after the esettlement of communities displaced by the construction of dams in the state.

Masing had proposed that a ministry be set up as a permanent agency to replace the current ad-hoc committees looking after the elfare of communities affected by the construction of dams.

Masing was reported to have brought up his proposal to the chief minister on several occasions.

So far four areas, Batang Ai, Bakun, Bengoh and Murum, have been affected by construction of dams.

Except for Bengoh which is being built as a reservoir, the others are hydro-power dams.

Earlier in his speech, Taib said the state government was speeding ICT penetration in the state to improve teaching facilities through WiFi and narrow the rural and urban digital gap. Education through WiFi was adopted from Cambridge University and widely used in Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

“The state government will ensure that, if not all, two thirds of Sarawak will be fully covered by the WiFi network,” he said.

Taib disclosed that a pioneer WiFi teaching programme had been implemented in Mukah.

“If the system works well, the state government will extend its usage to the other divisions.”

He added that the state government could not wait for the profit-motivated private sector to run the programme.

Among those present were Tun Abdul Razak (TAR) Teachers Institute Samarahan campus director Rijeng Jahet and Teachers Institute Miri campus director Nuri Udin.