A delegation of Baleh community leaders went on a study tour to the Three Gorges Hydroelectric Plant in Hubei, China recently, as part of an awareness initiative to learn the impact of hydroelectric dams on the local community. The trip from July 12 to 18 was led by Land Development Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Masing, who is also Baleh assemblyman.
The objective of the study tour was to expose and create greater understanding amongst the Baleh community leaders in particular those from the directly affected areas on appropriate matters such as compensation, livelihood restoration, poverty eradication and socio-economic development. The study would also become a catalyst for better appreciation of socio-cultural and economic benefits of the hydroelectric dam project in their context, Masing said in a statement issued yesterday.
“Three Gorges Dam has the world’s largest installed capacity of 22,500MW. The resettlement involved 13 cities, 140 towns and more than 2,600 villages, which saw the relocation of some 1.3 million affected people. The recent study tour to China is an eye-opener for the Baleh community leaders, as it will benefit their people as far as the proposed Baleh dam is concerned,” he added.
Wasting public money is a way of life for Sarawak politicians so it is no surprise that James Masing should have taken a group of Sarawakians on a trip to the 3 Gorges Dam in China. Press coverage on things like who paid for all this and how much it cost has been non-existent in the best BN tradiion but it is obvious that the cost of taking this large delegation of BN cronies, and even public officals, must have been high And, like most BN efforts, pointless and self defeating.
Everyone in Sarawak, and that includes Emperor Taib and his sycophants, knows that dams are not needed. Are dangerous, especially when built by incompetent contractors and furnished with second rate turbines that might explode at any mnute. Deprive downriver commnities of clean water: sometimes, as at Murum, any water. Pose the risk that a breach will drown hundreds if not thousands of people living dwnstream. Force displaced people to live on rafts or move to areas which cannot replace the forests stolen from them for dams. Create a new class of “displaced persons” who can be given starvation level support for a while before they are completely abandoned to starve; hopefully in silence. There is more to be said on the evils of dams but maybe BN will offer some “explanation” or “excuse” for bringing all this about. Maybe and maybe not!
Now that Masing and all his hangers on are back in Sarawak perhas he will take the same delegation to see the displaced natives forced out of their homes by his and the Emperor’s dam building programme for personal enrichment, After all that is the only thing that interests BN and the good “Doctor” Masing.