Anti Dams Protest at KLCC

 

More than a hundred of Orang Asal( indigenous peoples) affected by various mega dam projects from Sarawak, Sabah and Pahang, and supporters from various states including Kelantan, Perak, Melaka and Johor, today stormed KLCC to protest against mega dam projects in Malaysia. This event was held as response to the international conference on hydropower called ASEAN POWER WEEK which is being conducted in KLCC for 3 days.

Representatives of communities affected by
Baram Dam, Kaiduan Dam, Tambatuon Dam,
Telom Dam, and Temengor dam were giving
speech to the public at the entrance of convention hall. Chairman of SAVE Rivers, Peter Kallang managed to handover a memorandum against the proposed Baram Dam to a representative of Sarawak Energy Berhad(SEB).

Thomas Jalong, president of JOAS urged the participants of the conference not to support and involve in this kind of mega dam projects which would not only destroying the ecosystem but jeopardizing the natives who depend upon the land and rivers for their livelihood as well.

The peacefull assembly lasted for about an hour. Also present to show solidarity were Aru and Suresh of PSM, YB Lee Chean Chung of PKR, Dr.Kua Kia Soong of SUARAM and several others.

We Don't Want to be a DAM and DAMN nation

Orang Asal communities affected by existing and proposed mega dams in Sabah, Sarawak and Semenanjung Malaysia especially Pahang state will gather in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow(10/9/2014) to voice their concern, discontent and anger against various mega dam projects which jeopardizing their land and livelihood.

Here are a list of documentaries produced by Peoples Documentary on the social implications of forced resettlement of dam projects and protest by Orang Asal who are going to be affected by newly proposed dam project in their area.

1.Baram Dam, Baram, Sarawak
 

2. Bakun Dam, Belaga, Sarawak

http://youtu.be/YdPqesgWJyo

3. Murum Dam, Belaga, Sarawak

http://youtu.be/9GkQWaDCKDU

4. Ulu Jelai Hydroelectric project @ Susu Dam, Lipis, Pahang

http://youtu.be/_5Xtxir8MdQ

5. Telom Dam, Lipis, Pahang

http://youtu.be/PH_9LNgRggU?list=UUjleS94D7pb0oiFirydevNw

6. Pos Lenjang Dam, Lipis, Pahang

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

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.

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。