With the hydroelectric dam project in Nenggiri, Gua Musang beginning construction, Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Kelantan (JKOAK) wishes to meet Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in the hope that the project would be stopped immediately.
JKOAK ancestral land chief Nur Mohd Syafiq Dendi Abdullah said apart from meeting with Anwar, they plan to lodge a report to the MACC and take legal action if the project continues.
“Currently, the project is 40 percent done and is expected to be completed by 2026,” he said in a press conference at Suaram’s office in Petaling Jaya today.
In February, Malaysiakini reported that 3,000 Orang Asli in Gua Musang vowed to continue their fight against the project as it would destroy their source of income, culture, and heritage.
Questioning if there are elements of power abuse in the project, Nur Syafiq from Pos Simpor, said the unity government must look at this matter seriously and urgently investigate the project approval.
He said this is in line with the government’s goal to combat corruption and power abuse.
Where is the justice?
JKOAK chairperson Mustafa Along previously said that there were hundreds of settlements across eight zones - Wias, Pasik, Gob, Simpor, Tohor, Bihai, Angkek, and Depak - located along the Nenggiri River.
From these eight zones, only three villages - Pos Pulat, Pos Tohoi, and Kampung Kuala Wias are expected to be submerged once the dam is fully operational.
About 1,200 of these villagers have been promised housing in new villages as compensation.
However, many Orang Asli villagers claim that more areas would be affected, including their farmlands and ancestral lands.
As the mega project involved billions of ringgit, Nur Syafiq questioned if there are alternatives to combat Kelantan’s flood problems without destroying the Orang Asli’s heritage, culture, and the environment.
“We urge the MPs to speak up about this in Parliament.
“Is it worth spending billions on an unviable project like this?” he added.
He said the forest and nature are everything to the Orang Asli, and destroying them will also destroy their identity.
“(The forest) is our supermarket, our clinic, our bank, and the place where we educate our children. If we lose our ancestral and heritage land, our identity will be gone with it too,” he added.
On Feb 15, despite admitting the project will impact Orang Asli, Gua Musang MP Mohd Azizi Abu Naim urged the community to support and be a part of the proposed development due to its benefits to the economy and society.
In Aug last year, Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said that although the government will no longer build big hydroelectric dams, it is outside his jurisdiction to cancel the approved Nenggiri dam. - Mkini
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