Hydro Tasmania admits lack of anti-corruption audits in "100 billion dollar" Sarawak dam scheme

BRUNO MANSER FUND, BASEL, SWITZERLAND

23rd August 2012 – for immediate release

Roy Adair, CEO of Hydro Tasmania, confirms company's involvement in controversial Malaysian rainforest dam constructions – Hydro Tasmania downplays compliance deficits of Sarawak Energy, its Malaysian business partner

(HOBART, TASMANIA) Roy Adair, the CEO of Australian state-owned energy provider Hydro Tasmania, said yesterday his company had no audits in place to prevent Hydro Tasmania’s participation in projects that involve corruption.

In an interview with the Australian ABC Radio, Adair admitted that only general “pre-bid checks” were done on Sarawak Energy, a Malaysian dam builder and business partner, prior to Hydro Tasmania’s engagement in a “100 billion dollar” energy project in Sarawak. He said that “not so much auditing” on potential corrupt practices of Sarawak Energy had been done.

Sarawak Energy is owned by the Malaysian state of Sarawak and chaired by Hamed Sepawi, a cousin and close business associate of long-term Sarawak Chief Minister, Taib Mahmud (“Taib”). Taib is currently under investigation by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) for corruption and abuse of public office. Taib’s last major energy project, the 2,400 MW Bakun mega-dam, had been labelled by Transparency International as a “monument of corruption”.

In an attempt to downplay Hydro Tasmania’s involvement in Sarawak’s dam building spree, Adair said his company role was “relatively minimal” as it was only earning 3 million dollars from its Sarawak business. However, Adair failed to acknowledge the central role plaid by Hydro Tasmania engineers such as Andrew Pattle. The latter has been the Project Director of the 944 MW Murum dam, which is currently under construction, and has been appointed as the Senior Project Manager for another two proposed dams, Baram (1,200 MW) and Baleh (1,400 MW). Last year, Pattle said that “safety and environmental compliance” were “not given much importance” with dam-building in Malaysia.

The Sarawak dam building spree has drawn heavy criticism from indigenous associations and environmental organizations. The Baram dam alone would displace 20’000 Sarawak natives and flood over 400km2 of tropical rainforests. Yesterday, the Tasmanian Greens called on the Tasmanian Minister for Energy “to recall all of its employees currently involved in environmentally and socially destructive dam building practices in Malaysia.“

Without the expertise of foreign consultants such as Hydro Tasmania, Sarawak Energy would not be in a position to realize its controversial dam plans. 

– Ends –

More people from Baram voiced opposition to the proposed Baram Dam

Save Sarawak’s Rivers Network (SAVE Rivers)

Jaringan Selamatkan Sungai-Sungai Sarawak

Secretariat Office:

Lot 1046, 2^nd Floor, Shang Garden Shoplots,

Jalan Bulan Sabit, 98000 Miri, Sarawak, Malaysia

Tel: 085-423044 / Fax: 085-438580

        Email: saveriversnet@gmail.com

                            

25 June 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

More people from Baram voiced opposition to the proposed Baram Dam

MIRI – More than 200 people from Baram District as well as supporters from outside the district thronged into Telang Usan Hotel, Miri yesterday afternoon to participate in an open dialogue opposing the proposed Baram Hydro-electric Project.

The dialogue, which was jointly organised by Save Sarawak’s Rivers Network (SAVE Rivers) and the Baram Protection Action Committee (BPAC), is by far the biggest gathering of people from Baram who are living in and around Miri either for employment or studying.

“We did not expect the crowd to be this big, and I am truly flattered by the overwhelming support the participants of the dialogue gave us.” said Peter Kallang, Chairman of SAVE Rivers.

Equally grateful and encouraged by the support given by the participants, Philip Jau, Chairman of BPAC said, “BPAC together with SAVE Rivers and other NGOs and concerned individuals will work harder to get the government to scrap the Baram Dam project.”

During the dialogue, the participants were clearly upset about the Sarawak State Government and Sarawak Energy Berhad’s (SEB) plans to go forward with building the dam and trying to silence the majority of the people who are against it.

In a written statement addressed to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of SEB, Mr. Torstein Dale Sjotveit, the participants of the dialogue had stated unanimously that they disagree with these plans and strongly oppose the construction of the dam.

They also disagreed with the statements made by their community leaders headed by Temenggong Pahang Ding, their elected representatives i.e., YB Jacob Dungau Sagan, YB Dennis Ngau and Senator YB Lihan Jok and the President of the Federation of Orang Ulu Association Malaysia (FORUM), Mr. Gerawat Gala, saying which the Orang Ulu community in Baram have agree to the said project.

They were also not pleased with the announcement made by Sarawak’s Deputy Chief Minister, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu that the resettlement site for the communities affected by the said project has been identified to be between Murum and Bakun, in the Usun Apau region, whereas the said project is still in the proposal stage and no decision had been made on its approval.

The participants refuted the statement made by SEB’s CEO which was published in a local daily last Wednesday which said that only a small number of activists are making ‘noise’ opposing the said project and that the Orang Ulu community are ignorant. However, the participants are claiming that the CEO himself is being ignorant to the concerns and pleas of the people of Baram who are going to be affected by the said project.

They reminded the CEO that a 3 day meeting with the Orang Ulu communities at Long Na’ah village during the dialogue and ‘Mayau Daleh’ ceremony organised SEB and the State Government last April is not the right gauge to say that all the people of Baram have agreed to the said project, as not all the people of Baram were present at that time.

The participants are demanding that the Sarawak State Government and SEB scrap the controversial project with immediate effect and halt all works at the proposed project site immediately and warned SEB and the State Government that they will not hesitate to take the necessary actions if their objections are not heeded.

- END -

Press Statement issued by:

Mark Bujang

Secretary,

SAVE Rivers