TOP DECISION-MAKERS: State leaders taking the opportunity to briefly confer before leaving the state legislative assembly after the adjournment of the august house yesterday. (From right are) Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud, Second Minister of Resource Planning and Environment Datuk Amar Awang Tengah and Second Minister of Finance Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh.
IN THE LINE OF DUTY: Members of the media closely following the live feed of the Chief Minister’s winding up speech.
State govt committed to providing better life, future for communities affected by dam construction
KUCHING: The success of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) hinges on the successful resettlement of communities directly affected by the construction of hydro electricity dams, Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said during his winding up speech on the final day of the State Legislative Assembly yesterday.
“There is no doubt in my mind in the connection between SCORE and resettlement. This government is committed to successful resettlement, simply because the people of Sarawak owe it to the directly affected communities who include the Kayans, Kenyahs, Penans and other Orang Ulu communities.
“They should also benefit from the development programme that we are pursuing so that they too can ride along the wave towards a higher income society,” he told the august house.
Taib said Sarawak should be proud of its present resettlement policy because it is “probably among the best in the world”.
“At the very least, they will not be worse off than they are now or even left in a stagnant position,” he said, adding that the government planned to introduce new economic activities to create opportunities for the affected communities and provide temporary income support in the resettlement schemes to tide them through until the new projects bore fruits.
Other provisions include enabling the older generations to continue with their traditional way of life, providing education and training opportunities for the young, implementing development projects to eradicate poverty and improving the income of the communities.
He acknowledged that the government had not taken adequate measures in the past to provide for better resettlement because they could not afford it.
However, as the government could now integrate hydro development as part of its hinterland development strategy, it could now plan better with better approach, he said.
He pointed out that the resettlement plan for the Penan displaced by the Murum hydropower dam had been painstakingly planned over a period of four to five years with consultations at every stage with the headmen and villagers.
The chief minister noted that the blockades were set up by certain disgruntled groups instigated or taught by others as a way to communicate their grievances to the government but their demands were often over exorbitant sums of cash.
He stressed that the government would continue to reject their “most outrageous demands because they are unreasonable and would be rejected if made in similar fashion anywhere in the world.”
Taib said he was pleased that the majority of Murum Penans were keen to move because they recognised that what had been provided for them in the resettlement programme was good for them.
“I wish to reassure the directly affected communities in Baram as well as in Balleh that the government will do our utmost, with their cooperation and consultation, in working together to devise a resettlement plan that is acceptable to all parties.”
The chief minister thanked the community delegation he had met two days earlier for their support of government efforts to transform the Baram hinterland.