Stop Kaiduan Dam
- by: Action Committee Against Kaiduan Dam
- recipient: Chief Minister of Sabah
Dear Friends, Campaigners,
Warm greetings from Sabah, Malaysia.
I am seeking your support on behalf of the Action Committee Against Kaiduan Dam which was set up by communities potentially affected directly by the Kaiduan dam. A number of NGOs are also helping us in our campaign and I hope you/your organisation could support by writing a letter to the Sabah government to reconsider the building of this dam.
In short, the dam will be built in an one of Sabah's most beautiful area, preserved because there was no road access to our villages until recently and because of our ways of life that maintain a healthy respect for the environment. The 150 metres proposed dam will mean about 350 square kilometers of our traditional lands will be taken as a water catchment reserve, including the flooded area of 12 square kilometres where 9 villages are currently located. There are confusing information from the government that the dam project has not been approved yet even though the contractor already started to enter the affected villages to conduct an EIA. Interviews with the community were far from satisfactory. We will keep you updated on activities that the Action Committee has done so far.
The next few weeks are crucial as the government considers what to do next after complaints from the communities that the Environmental Impact Assessment has not followed procedures prescribed by the State. This period will also coincide with heightened campaigns locally against the dam.
We therefore hope that you/your organisation will join other groups/individuals all over the world to take a few minutes to sign-on to this petition.
We also respectfully ask your continued support to press for the cancellation of the Kaiduan dam and instead request the government to take several other measures including improving the management of its water supply, doing a public campaign to save water and exploring other cheaper and safer options for water supply.
Thank you for your time and support.
Yours sincerely,
Nousi Giun
Chairperson,
Action Committee Against Kaiduan Dam
The Right Honourable Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Aman
Chief Minister's Office
18th Floor, Wisma Innoprise,
Jalan Sulaman,Teluk Likas,
88817 Kota Kinabalu,
Sabah, Malaysia
Fax: 60 88 435 350
Honorable Minister,
RE: KAIDUAN DAM
Sabah has received many accolades for its concern for the environment, and has positive laws for the protection of indigenous peoples' rights to land and identity. The proposed building of the Kaiduan dam has therefore heightened our concerns in what we understand as submerging a pristine environment and displacing a number of indigenous communities in the Ulu Papar area of Sabah.
Right Honourable, your decision to go ahead with the Kaiduan dam will affect the environment and the lives of many communities, and this will potentially give a bad name to your government. We are in support of the affected communities who are struggling to maintain their traditional lands and their right to continue living in the area, and therefore to reconsider the construction of the Kaiduan dam.
We commend the State government's caution by first doing a feasibility study on water supply needs in Sabah. However, the appointment of the consultant to do the feasibility study by the contractor responsible for the Kaiduan dam construction may not have given you the most transparent answers and options. We respectfully request your office to get another opinion through the upcoming nationwide study on water resources.
We are also concerned that the process to conduct an Environmental Impact Assessment has already been started despite the fact to the communities and the general public that the Kaiduan dam project has not received a final approval from the government. We believe that this could be misleading and recommend that sufficient consultations, ensuring full and effective participation, and respect for the rights, of these affected communities and the general public will be made prior to making a decision.
We also think that this will provide an opportunity to get input on other alternatives to resolve projected water supply shortage for Kota Kinabalu and surrounding areas.
We respectfully request your office to consider all possibilities and alternatives in order to avoid the building of the dam and therefore the destruction of the homes of these indigenous communities, and this biodiversity-rich area.
Thank you for taking time to consider our concerns and would appreciate your response to our letter.
Yours sincerely,
The undersigned
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