TNB appointed SEIA consultant intimidate natives of Pahang

A SEIA consultant with PhD title was intimidating a group of indigenous peoples of Pos Lanai, Lipis, in the state of Pahang, that they are going to loose their rights over their customary land and traditional territory and can not claim compensation on it if they refuse to cooperate with the SEIA survey. Jeffrey Hassan, chairperson of Action Committee f Pos Lanai residents who are against the proposed Telom Dam said so when interviewed by Peoples Documentary on 31Aug2014.

A meeting was held on 28 Aug by Tenaga Nasional Bhd(TNB), JAKOA( Department of Orang Asli Development) and natives of Pos Lanai who would be affected by the proposed Telom HEP. This was the 3rd meeting of similar kind, where the project proponent i.e TNB and its appointed SEIA consultant has been trying very hard to persuade the villagers to accept the SEIA survey which will be conducted by UiTM, a local University.

Jeffrey said some residents who are against the proposed Telom Dam had once against saying that they refuse to accept the SEIA survey since they reject the dam. After the meeting, the lecturer of UiTM who incharge of the SEIA survey approached jeffrey and told him: " If you are so stuborn( to not cooperate with the SEIA survey), you would lose your rights on your tanah adat( customary land and traditional territory) and most probably can not claim compensation over it when the dam starts its impoundment."

Due to this intimidation, some of the villagers had accepted the SEIA surveys. They were asked to provide their personal particulars such as ID number and full name but were not provided a copy of the survey form. Jeffrey managed to ask for photocopies of the forms, and one of them is as below:

Jeffrey felt annoyed with the attitude shown by the SEIA consultant who should have been more objective and professional in carrying out his job. He hope human rights lawyers or NGOs can help his villagers from being cheated and manipulated by irresponsible stakeholders.

The proposed Telom Dam is 195 metres in height, with 132 MW capacity. It would flood 7200 hectares of land with most of it are customary land and traditional territory belongs to the Orang Asli( indigenous peoples) of several villages in Pos Lanai. The affected villagers had questioned the justification of the dam several times in their memorandum handed over to project proponent, i.e TNB, but the later had failed to answer, they fail to publish any EIA as well, which is mandatory according to Malaysia law. Instead they persuade villagers to accept SEIA survey, which is not a compulsory measure according to laws of the country.

Pakar SEIA ugut Orang Asli Pos Lanai

Seorang pakar dalam kajian SEIA yang mempunyai pangkat doktor dari UiTM mengugut Orang Asli Pos Lanai, Lipis, Pahang pada 28 Ogos, bahawa mereka akan kehilangan hak untuk menuntut pampasan atas tanah adat yang bakal ditenggelami oleh Empangan Telom yang dicadang bina oleh TNB.

En.Jeffrey Hasan selaku pengerusi jawatankuasa bertindak pembangunan tanah dan wilayah adat Kg Orang Asli Pos Lanai berkata demikian semasa ditemuduga oleh Peoples Documentary pada 31 Ogos di Pos Betau. Menurut beliau TNB dan JAKOA mengadakan perjumpaan dengan penduduk Pos Lanai di SK POs Lanai di Pos Pantos pada 28 Ogos untuk sekali lagi memujuk penduduk supaya menerima kajian soal selidik SEIA yang dijalankan oleh pelajar2 UiTM, sebagai badan yang bertugas untuk TNB untuk menyediakan laporan SEIA projek empangan Telom.

 Semasa mesyuarat diadakan antara penduduk dengan pihak TNB, JAKOA dan turut dihadiri wakil rakyat BN, ada sebahagian penduduk yang menolak kajian SEIA atas sebab mereka tidak menerima projek empangan. Setelah mesyuarat tamat, seorang pensyarah UiTM yang bertanggungjawab dalam kajian SEIA tersebut memberitahu Jeffrey bahawa sekiranya mereka terus DEGIL dan tidak menerima kajian SEIA, besar kemungkinan mereka akan hilang hak untuk menuntut pampasan atas tanah adat yang akan ditenggelami apabila empangan mula bertakung.

Jeffrey kata, berpuluh2 isirumah telah menerima kajian soal selidik yang dijalankan oleh pihak UiTM kerana mereka takut akan tidak mendapat apa2 pampasan atau subsidi. Mereka diminta mengisi semua maklumat penting seperti no IC dll tetapi tidak diberi salinan borang kajian SEIA tersebut. Jeffrey sempat minta salinan photocopy untuk borang2 tersebut, salah satunya seperti di bawah.

Jeffrey amat kesal dengan perbuatan pensyarah UiTM tersebut yang sepatutnya menjalankan kajian dengan adil dan professional. Beliau berharap peguam2 dan NGO2 yang arif dapat membantu penduduk kampung supaya mereka tidak tertipu dan terpedaya oleh pihak-pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab.

Baleh People say they are not consulted over Baleh Dam

The Sarawak Energy Bhd claimed days ago that they would start to build Baleh Dam instead of Baram Dam since the SEIA survey was completed. However, interview by RadioFreeSarawak with Baleh villagers shown that no discussion nor consultation with affected villagers has been carried out by dam developer and state government. In fact, the people are against the proposed dam.

http://radiofreesarawak.org/2014/08/is-that-possible-to-stop-baleh-dam/

Syarikat Sarawak Energy Bhd mendakwa beberapa hari yang lalu bahawa mereka akan mula membina Empangan Baleh memandangkan kajian SEIA sudah siap berbanding dengan Empangan Baram. Walaubagaimanapun, temuduga oleh RadioFreeSarawak dengan penduduk Baleh meunujukkan bahawa SEB dan kerajaan Sarawak tak pernah mengadakan perjumpaan dan penerangan dengan penduduk Baleh yang akan dipengaruhi oleh projek Empangan Baleh tersebut.

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.   

TNB pujuk Orang Asli Pos Lanai terima kajian SEIA

Walaupun Orang Asli Pos Lanai, Lipis, Pahang telah menyerahkan memorandum membantah projek Empangan Telom kepada TNB sebanyak 2 kali, namun syarikat yang ingin membina empangan tersebut tetap tidak berputus asa memujuk penduduk supaya menerima kajian SEIA.

Pada 28 Ogos 2014(semalam), dalam perjumpaan antara penduduk dengan TNB, JAKOA dan MP2 BN di Pos Pantos, mereka cuba mengugut penduduk dengan mengatakan bahawa mereka mungkin akan tidak mendapat apa2 sekiranya terus DEGIL untuk tidak menerima kajian SEIA.

video ini adalah perjumpaan pada bulan Mei antara TNB dengan penduduk di Pos Pantos.

 http://youtu.be/F7NjAlpTfK4?list=UUjleS94D7pb0oiFirydevNw

尽管受拟建彭亨州Telom水坝计划影响的原住民已经两度呈交备忘录于国能公司，以说明其反对水坝计划的意愿，可是后者三番四次尝试说服原住民接受社会评估报告调查。据悉，昨天（8月28日），国能公司连同原住民发展局（Jakoa)不仅再度尝试说服原住民接受调查，更威胁居民说，继续固执不接受调查可能会导致他们无法获得赔偿。

此纪录片为今年5月假pos pantos举行的居民和国能对话片段。