Sagan unhappy over media speculation on his candidacy

0

MIRI: Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Jacob Sagan has expressed his displeasure over constant media speculation that he will likely be replaced at the last minute in the coming 13th general election.

Sagan, who is Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) senior vice-president, said the media reports would confuse voters in the Baram parliamentary constituency as the party had made the decision to retain him as Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Baram seat.

“It (speculation) will demoralise people in the constituency,” he said after presenting government grants worth RM251,000 to 17 recipients at the Miri Resident Office, here, yesterday.

Media reports recently said that at least five candidates were vying for the predominantly rural Baram seat which might replace Sagan if the leadership deemed him not a winnable candidate.

On another issue, Sagan who is the Baram hydroelectric project community consultative committee (BCCC) chairman, said landowners affected by the construction of the 58km road from Long Lama to Baram dam had been assured that the ongoing survey of their land would be conducted fair and square.

Sagan who earlier chaired a closed-door dialogue between the landowners and the Land and Survey Department here, said the landowners had been given a guarantee by the department that the local community, especially the landowners, would be involved actively during the survey process and construction of the road.

On negative publicity on the proposed RM4 billion Baram dam, he clarified that the local community could voice out their grouses or suggestions to the BCCC as the construction was expected to commence in 2018.

“Right now, it is still at the early stage, with various ecological studies being conducted,” he said, adding that the local community should not fear about their welfare as the BCCC would listen to their views.

The construction of the Baram dam will affect more than 20,000 people from 25 settlements that will be submerged once the dam is operational. The 1,000mw dam will primarily be used to generate electricity for the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE). — Bernama