Struggle against Nenggiri dam continues for Orang Asli

 

Although the Nenggiri Hydroelectric Dam project received its green light a few years ago, more than 3,000 Orang Asli in Gua Musang, Kelantan, have vowed to continue their fight against the project.

They say that the project will lead to the destruction of their source of income as well as irreplaceable links to their culture and heritage. 

According to representative Mustafa Along, the Orang Asli - who are mostly from the Temiar group - built their settlements along the river.

He said while not many villages will be directly destroyed due to the project, the land where they cultivate crops and perform rituals will be demolished, as will the resting places of their ancestors.

“Once the dam is built, it will block the main road and we will have no choice but to travel further to get to the nearest town. Right now, the journey takes about five hours and the time will be doubled with the dam blocking the road.

“We would need to spend more on fuel and logistics,” he told Malaysiakini.

Mustafa added that the villagers are living in hundreds of settlements across eight zones - Wias, Pasik, Gob, Simpor, Tohoi, Bihai, Angkek, and Depak - which are located along the Nenggiri River.

Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam (Kuasa) president Hafizuddin Nasarudin said the project may also increase wildlife-human conflicts.

There have been cases of wild elephant and tiger attacks in Orang Asli farms in the area which resulted in fatalities and continuing the project may exacerbate the issue as the animals lose their habitat, he added.

Historical site at risk

Hafizuddin also expressed concern about losing Gua Cha, where a prehistoric human skeleton was found.

“Think about the value of Gua Cha. It would be a great loss to us because the project will destroy the cave,” he said.

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia researchers found the skeleton in June last year. Researchers believed the skeleton could be traced back to a prehistoric civilisation that settled in the Nenggiri valley some 14,000 years ago.

Centre for Orang Asli Concerns founder Colin Nicholas also expressed the same concern about Gua Cha.

He said that with the discovery of such a valuable historical artefact, the project should have been cancelled a long time ago.

“Just look at what happened with Bujang Valley,” he added.

In 2013, the media reported that 8th-century heritage sites in Bujang Valley, Kedah were allegedly destroyed by a housing developer. The Kedah government at the time denied knowledge of the demolition.

Next course of action

With the project expected to begin construction by June 2027, both Orang Asli groups and NGOs are not giving up.

Hafizuddin said his team has been assisting the Orang Asli in gathering documents and evidence of their settlement to prove that the community had been living in the area for a long time and had the right to defend themselves.

Besides that, he said Kuasa is assisting in handing memorandums and letters to the federal and state governments. 

“We also conduct public campaigns to raise more awareness,” he added.

Nenggiri river in Gua Musang, Kelantan

In August last year, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said while the government would no longer build big hydroelectric dams, the Nenggiri project had been approved and it was outside his jurisdiction to cancel it.

Mustafa said even though many Orang Asli understand the fight, there are still a few who have yet to realise their right to defend themselves against the project. 

“Some are either afraid or unaware of the impact of the project on their livelihood. And those who agreed with the project believed that the land belonged to the government,” he said, adding that he will continue to educate and raise awareness among his people. 

Mustafa also questioned why the government is willing to allocate a large amount of money for the project instead of spending it to rehabilitate the forest in Hulu Kelantan. 

He said rehabilitation would help reduce wildlife attacks in the area.

He pointed out that while the construction had yet to start, the clearing done at the site had already brought problems to the Orang Asli. - Mkini