Dennis Ngau
KUCHING: Telang Usan Assemblyman Dennis Ngau is puzzled that the very group that prevented Baram Dam access road construction is now making noise when the money will be used for other projects.
“But they were so adamant at going against it, they do not allow the workers to build that road at the starting point, but why want to blame other people now?” Dennis questioned.
According to Dennis, when the federal government approved the budget of the road, the total allocation was RM800 million.
“The federal government approved it, they got special code for it. So, out of the RM800 million, RM200 million was used up to build road from Beluru junction to Long Lama.
“So the (remaining) RM600 million was supposed to be used to build road from Long Lama up to Ulu Baram but the thing is when people were about to start the road construction, the anti-dam (group) started doing blockade and demonstration to prevent the road from being constructed,” Dennis explained.
Dennis explained that under the government financial rules, the money must be spent within a year after it is approved or the allocation will be withdrawn.
“When Dato Sri Michael Manyin was Minister of Infrastructure Development and Communication, he repeatedly called me to talk about the fund, whether it should be withdrawn or not. I appealed for the fund to be retained,” Dennis reiterated.
Dennis said he had talked to the anti-dam group to allow the project to proceed but they were “so stubborn and adamant at going against the road project”.
“So, the money was taken back by Putrajaya. That money was supposed to be used to (access) build road leading to hydroelectricity dam. This is the one that Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing wants to request because Baram Dam cannot be implemented. This is the story behind the whole episode,” he explained.
“The road is about 40 kilometers, I read in the Orang Ulu WhatsApp Group where people were venting their anger against Masing, but they forgot it was their own fault.
“For three over years, I appealed to the government to hold on to the money and pleaded to the anti dam group to allow the road to be constructed but they refused to co-operate. Now, why are they blaming Tan Sri James Masing?” Dennis asked.
He said if the Baram Dam access road were constructed, thousands of people would benefit from the project.
The project was supposed to start from Long Lama, to Long Laput, to Uma Bawang, to Long Pilah, to Long Miri, to Long Nakan, to Long Keseh, to Na’a in Central Baram – but they went against it, Dennis explained.