MP: Dam will eradicate poverty

Abdul Rahman Dahlan believes that the controversial Tambatuon dam will provide a richer life for Kota Belud residents.

PETALING JAYA: Kota Belud MP, Abdul Rahman Dahlan, has finally stepped forward to explain the rationale behind the proposed Tambatuon irrigation dam and its role in eradicating poverty there.

The RM500-million project, which is aimed at increasing paddy production in the district of Kota Belud, is facing strong opposition from the villagers of Kampung Tambatoun.

In a lengthy article on his blog last night, Rahman explained that the government had mooted the idea of the dam to prevent a recurrence of the food crisis in 2007and 208 during which rice prices tripled.

“The government initiated immediate plans to increase the national capacity to produce rice and naturally turned to Sabah and Sarawak which still have ample lands,” Rahman said. “All eyes were on Kota Belud’s vast but unproductive 25,000 acres of paddy fields.”

“Kota Belud was chosen to be transformed into the nation’s newest ricebowl and the government ordered massive upgrading of its irrigation, management, technology and machinery.”

“To achieve this, there had to be new and adequate sources of water supply to irrigate those 25,000 acres of land. Hence the idea of the dam was mooted. Some NGOs claim that irrigation can be done without a dam but I have yet to see any evidence of this.”

According to Rahman, the dam would enable thousands of Kota Belud’s poor paddy farmers to produce 200,000 tonnes of paddy bi-annually.

Perennial floods

At a price of RM1,000 per tonne, the amount would contribute RM200 million to the local gross income which would eventually wipe away Kota Belud’s reputation as “one of the poorest districts in Malaysia”.

“The dam will have several other benefits,” Rahman said. First, it will stem the perennial floods in the greater area of Kota Belud by controlling the river flow during rainy seasons. Second, it will generate hydro power in the future to end Kota Belud’s electricity power shortages.”

“Thirdly, part of the huge amount of water can be used to provide treated water supply for consumption. And fourth, it will become a tourist attraction.”

Rahman also disputed accusations that the plan had been drafted without input from local authorities and leaders.

He stated that as soon as the plan was mooted, the district office, the relevant agencies, the head of Kampung Tambatuon and local political leaders had held extensive discussions on the matter.

“A consultant was brought in to show us several potential and suitable locations for the dam,” he said. “Kampung Tambatuon was chosen as the spot with the least destructive effect to man and nature.”

“Despite the technical observations, we still expressed concern and asked for indepth studies on whether the village was really suitable. This would require the consultant to go on field trips to Kampung Tambatuon.”

“But the villagers, despite assurances that the government will only proceed if the environmental and the societal studies are positive, have refused to allow the consultant to set foot there.”

Issued politicised

Opposition leaders and the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) have also demanded that the government study the effect of the dam and conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before proceeding.

Rahman fully agreed but pointed out that these same parties were also preventing the government from meeting their demands by instigating the villagers to block the field studies.

“Given the fact that it has now become a highly politicised issue, we feel it is better to wait for the EIA report and the government proposed compensation terms before meeting the villagers,” he added. “At least then all parties can use the above information as a basis for a productive meeting.”

Rahman is also baffled why DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang refused to acknowledge the necessity for food security for the country and the occasional need to resettle communities in the name of development.

Lim has publicly castigated Rahman over the proposed dam and the latter has returned fire by calling him more of a “politician” than a “leader” for failing to see the bigger picture.

“I dare DAP include in its election manifesto that if it forms the government no person will be resettled to make way for development and construction of crucial public infrastructures,” he said. “Not even for national security.”

“Lim rightly pointed the need for elected representatives to fight for the interest of the people they represent above everything else. But in this case any representative will find himself sandwiched between the interest of 550 villagers and the greater interest of tens of thousands of poor farmers in Kota Belud as well as millions of Malaysians.”

“Do you compromise the welfare of the few for the benefit of the larger population and the future of the nation or do you play politics and thus put the nation at risk? I don’t blame Lim if he is unable to answer this moral question. After all, he is always been an urban MP and has never held any government position that has required him to make tough decisions such as this.”