A delegation of community members from Long Kawa, Long Pelutan, Ba’ Taha and more expressed their concern and resistance to the Tutoh cascading dam project during a prayer and blessing ceremony in Long Kevok on 25 August.
The ceremony was to launch the start of the feasibility study of the project, and the delegates handed over a resistance letter that detailed their concerns to Gerawat Gala, a deputy minister in the Sarawak Premier’s Department, and others in his entourage.
In his speech during the ceremony, Dennis Ngau, the Sarawak state assembly member for Telang Usan, said those resisting the project are in the minority and that the majority of the community support it.
When questioned by Violet Yong, the assembly member for Pending, on the lack of consultation and engagement with affected communities by the project proponents during the state assembly session last November – as evident by the 650 signatures that were collected in 2023 – he claimed there were instead 40,000 signatures collected in support of the project.
This statement further confuses community members. “I find it strange that 40,000 people could sign to consent to a project that hasn’t started its feasibility studies yet. When was this massive signature petition held and where?” Asai Brat, the headman of Long Siang, said.
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“As stated in the letter we submitted to YB Gerawat and his entourage here; we are resisting this project because of this lack of transparency and access to information. We have the right as impacted communities to say no to projects at any instance of the process, especially when our concerns are not taken seriously by the authorities and our higher-ups ketua masyarakat [community leaders],” said Jusley Gadong from Long Kawa.
According to a recent report by Human Rights Watch, Sarawak land laws are generally inadequate to protect the internationally recognised rights of Indigenous peoples.
The Sarawak Land Code, for instance, places an arbitrary cap on the size of Indigenous territories. Maps that show where customary land has been surveyed and where land leases have been granted to companies are not publicly accessible.
Save Rivers managing director Celine Lim said: “Sarawak cannot afford to keep ignoring these grassroots mobilisations that are expressing their genuine fears and concerns. They have to stop labelling them as just representing the minority and stop calling civil society organisations…instigators. A government that claims to represent the people must ensure all the relevant stakeholders are given full disclosure and are not penalised when they express their concerns and resistance within the process.” – Save Rivers
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
