A "People First" hydroelectric project by TNB

Tenaga Nasional Bhd(TNB) is carrying out a hyroelectric project and start to resettle Orang Asli from 3 villages. They claimed before the press that this is going to be a "People First" project as Orang Asli to be affected will be very well taken care of.

Watch this video to hear from orang asli of Kampung Susu who were forced relocated, whether the project is "people First" or "Profit First".

国能公司正在金马仑进行着一项巨型水利发电计划，并开始着手搬迁三个村庄的原住民。他们向媒体宣称，这将会是一项“以人民为先”的计划。

请观看此纪录片，让受搬迁计划影响的原住民告诉我们，这究竟是“以民为先”的计划，还是“利益至上”的计划？

Cost of resettlement of Ulu Jelai Hydroelectric Project

The Ulu Jelai HEP project is in Cameron Highland. Major component is building the Susu Dam on Bertam River, 80 metre high with 372 MW capacity. The dam will flood an area of 124 hectares, basically all are customary land and traditional territory of Orang Asli from 14 villages. 3 villages will be flooded and resettled, which are Kg Susu, Kg Tiat and Kg Pinang.

Chairman f TNB Leo Moggie claimed Orang Asli from this 3 villages will enjoy full facilities but villagers of Kg Susu who had been resettled told us that the PPRT houses were poorly built and water supply are not enough.

CEO of TNB Che Khalid Mohd Noh said TNB will compensate Orang Asli on crops and property losses in the project. What he failed to tell them is, they are not going to get any compensation nor substitution for their customary land which is 124 hectares which they are going to loose once the dam start its impoundment.

In every single statement TNB made to the media, they only mentioned that: " 14 Orang Asli will be involved", but fail to recognize that the land to be submerged is customary land which belongs to Orang Asli.

However, to comfort the Orang Asli of Kampung Susu who had been forced to move, TNB promised
verbally that each family will be given 6 acres of farm land in Raub to earn a living. Similar case had happened to the Penans and Kenyah of Murum who were resettled last year to Metalun and Tegulang, no sign of compensation or replacement of the land they lost was noticed. They same tragedy most probably would befall Orang Asli in Pos Lanai(  a few thousand of them) if they accept the proposed Telom Dam.

Ulu Jelai HEP: Another Nightmare Dam Project in Pahang

(31st aug2014). 44 households of Orang Asli from ethnic Semai  from Kampung Susu, Cameron Highland were forced relocated by TNB( dam developer) and JAKOA, accompanied by policemen loaded with weapons on 6th June to a temporary resettlement area under the Susu Dam, which is still under construction.

They were only given RM700 as relocation fees and thousands Ringgit as compensation to the crops which has been destroyed by the dam under construction. This was told by Abdul Latif, a villager of former Kampung Susu who has moved to the resettlement area. He said: " We are like prisoners here because we have no land to work on and no forest resources to earn our living."

The 6 hectares of farmland per family as promised by TNB and state government of Pahang which they are depending on for livelihood are still uncertain, while hundreds hectares of their traditional land and territories is going to be flooded once the Susu Dam or Ulu Jelai HEP starts its impoundment probably by end of 2015.

Similar misfortune befalls the Orang Asli in this area were and are happening in Bakun, Murum di Sarawak and several areas in Peninsular Malaysia. Yet Pahang government and TNB still insist to build more dams in Pos Lanai and Pos Lenjang, both are in Lipis District of Pahang. At the moment, no EIA of these project is seen or published but TNB already bringing drilling machines to both proposed dam sites, persuading and instigating the locals to accept SEIA survey.One of the SEIA survey form is shown below:

During our field work visit( Action Committee of Pos Lanai Orang Asli who oppose Telom Dam and Peoples Documentary) to Kampung Susu on our Malaya Merdeka Day, several Orang Asli interviewed by us shown their regret over the resettlement program and they advised the people of Pos Lanai and Pos Lenjang to " Pertahankan tanah adat kamu"( protect your customary land and traditional terrotary) before its too late.   

Orang Asli Kg Susu kini rasa hidup dalam penjara

Orang Asli kaum Semai yang dipaksa berpindah ke penempatan semula pada bulan Jun 2014 kerana projek hidroelektrik Ulu Jelai, kini rasa mereka bagai hidup dalam penjara. Abdul Latif Ahmad yang ditemuduga kami hari ini berkata begitu kerana sejak berpindah ke situ, 44 keluarga Orang Asli dari Kampung Susu kini hilang mata pencarian kerana langsung tiada tanah untuk mereka usahakan.

Subsidi bulan sebanyak RM700 yang dijanjikan oleh TNB atau pemaju projek belum diterima oleh penduduk. Setakat ini kebanyakan janji2 TNB belum ditunaikan melainkan pampasan pemindahan sebanyak RM700 dan gantirugi untuk sebahagian daripada pokok2 kebun di tanah adat yang bakal ditenggelami air empangan.

Abdul Latif juga berkata bahawa penduduk Kg Susu telah dipaksa berpindah pada 6hb Jun oleh TNB dan JAKOA yang diiringi oleh anggota polis yang bersenjata.Suatu perjumpaan diadakan pada pagi tersebut dan Orang Asli yang enggan berpindah kerana kebanyakan syarat2 janji belum dipenuhi terpaksa dipindahkan petang hari itu juga.Beliau berkata:" Pegawai JAKOA berkata kalau kami tidak pindah, kami akan kehilangan hak atas tanah adat."

Osman bin Ariffin, penduduk yang berkerja di luar pula kata, rumah PPRT yang diberi sebagai pampasan oleh TNB hanya diberi kepada isi rumah yang menetap di Kg Susu dan mereka yang bekerja di luar tidak mendapat rumah. Ini telah meyebabkan lebih kurang 10 keluarga tidak mendapat rumah PPRT yang sebelum itu dijanjikan oleh TNB sebagai BUNGALOW MEWAH. 

Projek hidro Ulu Jelai dijangka akan memindahkan Orang Asli dari 3 buah kampung yang akan tenggelam iaitu Kg Susu, Kg Tiat dan Kg Pinang. Setakat ini, hanya penduduk Kg Susu yang telah pindah( dipaksa), sementara penduduk dari 2 kampung lagi belum pindah kerana penempatan semula belum siap dibina dan kami difahamkan kesemua penduduk yang terlibat tidak tahu samada tanah kebun akan diberi kepada mereka untuk meyara hidup kerana janji2 TNB setakat janji mulut sahaja.