Proposed township to benefit Telang Usan — Rep

http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/08/15/proposed-township-to-benefit-telang-usan-rep/

Posted on August 15, 2013, Thursday

MIRI: The proposed Baram Hydroelectric Project (HEP) new township will bring many benefits to the Telang Usan constituency such as increasing the people’s standard of living.

Telang Usan assemblyman Dennis Ngau told The Borneo Post yesterday that the plan showed the government’s willingness and effort to develop and transform Baram into a better and more developed constituency by 2020.

“Personally, I agree with the proposal to turn this constituency into a modern one, while still reflecting the culture and traditions of the multi-ethnic people living in Baram.

“The people must understand that the proposed Telang Usan new township will also become a boost for tourism that surely will improve the livelihoods of the people in Baram,” he said.

Dennis pointed out that many members of the Orang Ulu community from Ulu Baram have achieved success in life, but did not return to the longhouses and contribute to the community.

“If this Telang Usan new township is built one day, it will also open many doors for job opportunities for these young people to go back to their roots and contribute something to the people and our country’s economic growth,” he said.

He urged Baram folk, especially the younger generation, to look at the positive side of the proposal which would benefit them and their families.

“Many opportunities will be given to them, especially job opportunities such as in the tourism industry,” he added.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud said the proposed township would have elements reflecting the rich history of the Kayans, Kenyahs and Kelabits, who migrated from East Java to Batang Kayan in Indonesia before settling in Kapit and Baram.

PKR leadership split over Baram candidate?

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/02/18/pkr-leadership-split-over-baram-candidate/

Joseph Tawie | February 18, 2013 

 

In the Baram parliamentary constituency, Ibans are the 'kingmakers' and Anwar Ibrahim should quickly realise this, says a grassroots PKR leader.

KUCHING: Barisan Nasional may retain – by default – its hold over the Baram parliamentary constituency given the confusion over who PKR will field in the coming general election.

Given the fact that 42% of Baram’s 29,000 strong electorate are Ibans, it seems most plausible that the opposition fields an Iban, but PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, however, seems to think otherwise.

Anwar allegedly announced a candidate – Roland Engan, a lawyer – from the Kenyah tribe as a candidate for Baram and this has not gone down well with the Kapit PKR wing which has been actively supporting Iban-boy Patrick Sibat Sujang.

According to Kapit PKR deputy chairman Baginda Minda, sidelining the Ibans “will be at our own risk”.

“You can’t ignore the Iban-factor. This is because the Ibans constitute 12,000 voters or about 42% of the 29,000-strong electorate as compared with Kayans of 6,800 voters, Kenyahs 4,700 and Penans and Kelabit 1,000 voters.

“Chinese and Malay comprise 2,600 and 1,700 voters respectively. If we ignore or sideline the Ibans, it will be at our own risk,” said Baginda, who is Sujang’s chief campaigner.

He was commenting on “unsettling” reports that Anwar had allegedly announced, on Feb 11 in Beluru, that Engan would be the candidate for Baram.

“(Now) the people in Baram are not only confused, but also want answers as to why Roland (Engah) is so special that he is the first PKR candidate to be confirmed ahead of about 70 other PKR candidates throughout the country.

“Is the hasty announcement an indication of trouble within the PKR?

“Was Anwar pressured to announce it in an impromptu manner as an attempt to pre-empt the growing influence of Patrick Sibat, especially among the Iban voters? Or was it an attempt to sideline the Iban voters?” asked Baginda.

Ibans are ‘kingmakers’

Baginda said if indeed Anwar had made the announcement then it would “offend the Ibans” and would be “a fatal mistake.”

Explaining further, Baginda said that although on the surface it may appear than the Ibans are “insignificant” given that they are not directly affected by the Baram dam issue, they were nonetheless “kingmakers”.

Citing examples, Baginda said in the 1990 parliamentary election, Harrison Ngau as an independent candidate contested against Luhat Wan of BN-Sarawak National Party (SNAP) in a three-cornered fight.

But with strong support from the Iban community from Marudi, Harrison won the seat with a majority of 839 votes. Sujang was one of those campaigned for Harrison.

If Ngau had depended solely on Kayan, Kenyah and Penan voters he would have lost.

Baginda said a similar scenario had occurred in Telang Usan constituency in the 2011 state election.

Here too, he said, Ibans played an important role.

He said in the 2011 state election, it was clear that the Kayan, Kenyah and Penan communities were split into two – 49% voted for a Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu-BN candidate Denis Ngau, while 51% voted for Ngau.

“The kingmakers here were some 3,000 Iban voters from Puyut and Lubok Nibong polling districts, and in the last state election, they threw their support to Dennis Ngau.

“Denis Ngau won by a majority of 845 votes,” Baginda said.

He expects a similar situation in the 13th general election.

Dam, a non-issue with Ibans

According to him whilst the proposed construction of the Baram dam might be a major issue among the Kayan, Kenyah and Penan communities, it was a non-issue with the Ibans, who were more concerned about infrastructure developments like roads and their native customary rights (NCR).

He said the 2011 state election clearly showed that although the proposed dam was likely to displace some 20,000 inhabitants from 26 Kayan, Kenyah and Penan longhouses and villagers, some 50% of the people from these three communities had not opposed the government and its plan.

Hence, keeping the Ibans happy is all the more important, said Baginda.

“For the Ibans, roads and NCR issues are most important…These are the issues that we [Sujang's group] are highlighting.

“Was Anwar misled into believing Roland [Engah] has the support of the Ibans? Personally, I believe that Roland will have an uphill task in Baram constituency.

“[Because] every time he holds a gathering, his crowd of about 300 or 400 is the same people who are members of the non-governmental organisations [NGOs].

“He [Engah] needs to have the support of the Iban voters.

“But will the Iban voters support him?” Baginda said.

Petrified Baram natives want 'dam plan' scrapped

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/fmt-english/politics/sabah-and-sarawak/12191-petrified-baram-natives-want-dam-plan-scrapped

Petrified Baram natives want 'dam plan' scrapped

Fri, 29 Oct 2010 12:15

By Joseph Tawie

MIRI: Some 20,000 indigenous natives of Kayan, Kenyah, Saben and Penan communities living in the Baram division are horrified to hear about the voluminous fast-flowing Rajang River drying up, a phenomenon blamed in part to the impoundment of the controversial Bakun dam which began on Oct 13.

The unexpected dry spell and the continuous impoundment has caused untold misery and hardship for those living along the Kapit, Belaga, Nanga Merit and Pelagus areas.

“Never before have the Baram residents ever heard of the Rajang River drying up or seen such a thing,” said Philip Jau, chairman of Baram Protection Action Committee in a statement to FMT.

“We don’t want this (dry up) to happen to the Baram River, if the construction of Baram dam is to proceed,” he said.

“The committee therefore demands that the government scrap its plan to build the Baram dam which has a capacity of 1,000 MW. Otherwise at least 20,000 indigenous Kayan, Kenyah, Kelabit, Saben and Penan communities from hundreds of longhouses and villages situated along the Baram River valley will be affected and displaced,” he said.

Jau said the majority of the communities living in Baram "strongly and vehemently oppose the Baram dam" and also all the other planned and currently under construction dams throughout Sarawak. He said the state had more than enough supply of energy even without these additional dams.

Not consulted

Jau said that the Baram residents were never consulted about the construction of the Baram dam.

“Even though it is still in its planning stage, the people have a right to know and to decide whether to agree or disagree with the project,” he said, pointing out that if all the planned 12 dams and Bakun Dam are operational, Sarawak would have an insane amount of surplus electricity or 600% surplus.

"The energy generated from Bakun Dam alone is more than enough to power Sarawak,” he said.

The Baram dam is expected to submerge an area of 38,900 hectares (389 sq km) of land and forest. The area is mostly native customary land, and consists of temuda, cultivated lands, gardens, villages, churches, graveyards, community forests and sites of historical significance.

The people are going to lose their longhouses, villages, properties, lands and forests as well as the history as a result of submergence and displacement by the Baram dam.

The dam will also submerge the existing government schools, medical clinics, airstrip and other building facilities which the government have spent a lot of tax payers’ money on.

The longhouse/villages downstream affected by the Baram Dam are Long Laput, Sungai Dua, Sri Kenawan, Uma Bawang, Long Miri (Daleh Pelutan), Long Pilah and Long Kesseh.

In the upstream and within the dam reservoir area are Long Na’ah, Long Liam, Long San, Long Selatong (Kiri & Kanan), Long Apu, Long Julan Asal, Long Julan Pelutan, Long Anap, Long Palai, Long Je’eh, Long Moh, Long Sela’an and Long Semiyang as well as some villages in Akah River that are Long Beku, Ba’ Abang, Long Tap and Long Tebangan.