Bakun power for Sarawak and what does it mean?

It was reported in The Borneo Post of 12 December 09 (Saturday) issue that all power from Bakun hydroelectric dam, will be fully commissioned next year and will be fully operational 2011, will now go to Sarawak in order to serve the State’s own industrial needs.

This is following the agreement given by the Federal Government to the state’s request to have the power from Bakun dedicated entirely for local industries, especially under Sarawak Corridor Renewal Energy (SCORE).

Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud, who revealed this, said the state government was now taking the next step which was to package a deal to ‘lease’ Bakun hydroelectric dam from the federal government.

“The prime minister has agreed with the state government that Bakun will be first used to supply the needs of establishing Sarawak’s heavy industries. All power from Bakun will be now available to us,” Taib said.

Bakun is expected to produce 1,776W of ‘firm’ electricity when fully operational in 2011.

With the announcement, it looks likely that the plan to ‘export’ power from Bakun to the peninsular Malaysia via submarine cables by 2015 will not be implemented as originally scheduled.

According to Taib, more dams will be built after Bakun, and construction work on Murum has started and is expected to be completed in 2013.

“We are doing feasibility studies for dams in Baram and Ulu Baleh. And that it is not the end of the story, because of our high potential to produce up to 28,000MW from the 12 hydroelectric dams planned for Sarawak.

“This is going to be the core of development in Sarawak in the next 20 years. It will give us development that is quite different from the past,” said Taib.


The Broken Shield’s comment:

Firstly, it is understood Peninsular Malaysia does not need power from Bakun as it has an excess supply of electricity supplied to TNB through IPPs (Independent Power Providers).

In fact TNB is paying excess power supply for nothing. But it has to do it as agreement has been signed lasting 60 years. Furthermore, TNB operational costs have soared from RM9 billion in 2008 to around RM12 billion in 2009.

So Peninsular Malaysia does not need electricity from Bakun. Sarawak is therefore forced to take back Bakun hydroelectric dam which is worth more than RM10 billion to build.

By taking over it, it also means that Sarawak and the people of Sarawak have to take over the financial burden and as well as to pay back the costs (over RM10 billion) of the construction to the Federal government, which, I am sure, will be considered as loan.

But having Bakun alone, Taib is not satisfied as he wants to build 12 more dams in the State and the total amount of construction including infrastructures may run to over RM100 billion. Do we really need these dams to produce more than 28,000MW to generate our industries?

All these dams are to supply electricity to SCORE especially to be used by an aluminum smelting plant to be built in the Samalajau area in Bintulu.

For your information, not many countries in the world are keen to have an aluminum smelting plants built in their areas as the plants produce toxic that is harmful to the health of the people.

Anyway, Taib, dissatisfied with the construction of the 12 hydro-dams, is also building a RM800 million coal powered electricity plant in Mukah just because he wants to mine coal from Nanga Merit, Kapit.

And the question that comes to mind is: Who will benefit from all these dams?

The names of CMS, Taib’s family business is expected to provide building materials and the construction of roads; Naim Cendera will do the housing projects, Hock Seng Lee, Sarawak Energy and other crony companies are sure to benefit.

But who will lose and suffer?

Thousands of natives and their longhouses will be displaced, and thousands of their NCR land and their cultural heritage will be submerged and the people’s livelihood will be uprooted.

And for the people of Bintulu and those nearby, they will suffer from toxic coming from this smelting plant.

Reports from Brazil, a leading country in the aluminum smelting, say: “Emissions of dust consisting of clay and bauxite residue saturated with caustic soda (red mud) is the main problem, although emissions to the atmosphere of gases and particles from boilers, calcinations furnaces and bauxite dryers may also important. In aluminum smelting the emissions of fluorides from reduction cells and gases, smoke and steam resulting from pitch distillation are considered most important.

“Finally, in aluminum fabrication, emissions of gases and particles from smelting and re-heating furnaces pose the largest problems.”

The health problems associated with aluminum are cancer, respiratory problems, infertility, bone deformity, teeth decay, Alzheimer’s diseases, and etc.

In anticipating of all these health problems, should not the government build a big hospital in Bintulu fully equipped with cardiac, cancer, eye, nose and throat, dental and Alzheimer’s diseases units?

What do you think? - The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

Kapit is growing?

After an absence of more than two years, it is good to visit Kapit again where we met many relatives and friends. Although Kapit is perhaps the only town which is not connected to any town and other divisions, it is fast growing not only in terms of physical development, but also in other forms.

Kapit 'water front' project now under construction

The Kapit water front is believed to be one of the biggest projects now under construction in this little “Hong Kong” of Malaysia. (At night Kapit is very much like Hong Kong, where we can see many beautiful lights coming from houses built on top of hills.)

Cost of living is one of the highest in Sarawak. Fish like “ikan empilut”, “ikan padi”, “ikan Labang” are now very expensive. Not to mention “empurau” which costs RM500 a kilogram, “tengadak” and “semah” cost between RM100 and RM300 a kilogram. Wild boar meat which was used to be a common dish in those days has now become a rare item. So are other jungle meats.

Fish like 'Ikan Empilut", "Ikan Padi" & "Ikan Labang" are now very expensive in Kapit

Prices for vegetables and jungle produce have also increased tremendously. Hotel accommodations and costs of houses have also soared up as a result of high costs of petroleum. A double storey house which cost RM250,000 per unit two years ago now costs RM320,000 and more.

On Sunday, Kapit is really packed with people and vehicles. It is said that there are more than 400 van “sapu” and 4,000 Kapit registered cars and several thousands other cars. As there are very little roads in Kapit, you can imagine cars and vans coming to the town, making Kapit the town of cars and vans.

Express boat is the only mode of transportation to Kapit

The people of Kapit put their blame on Dr. James Masing, Minister of Land Development for the lack of roads in Kapit especially a trunk road leading to other towns like Kanowit and Sibu. Masing, according to them, did not agree for the construction of the trunk road as there were no economic activities.

Actually it was not Masing who did not want the trunk road to be built. Like you and me Masing wants the road to be built. I am not defending him. As a loyal BN minister he has to toe the line. It was and now the State government policy under Abdul Taib Mahmud not to build the trunk road from Kapit to Sibu.

In a recent cabinet meeting, Taib argues that such a trunk road will make Kapit a “dead” town as everyone will not spend the night in the town. Secondly, the road has no economic value even though it will pass through literally hundreds of longhouses and will likely open up thousands of acres of NCR land for agricultural activities. And thirdly, the state government does not want the express boat and tongkang businesses to suffer.

But the State government will carry out upstream development and has in fact come up with a master plan which is part of the Sarawak Corridor of Renewal Energy (SCORE). Three roads will be constructed: one from Kapit to Baleh dam and Putai which is about 56 km, another to Murum dam which is about 45 km and the third road to Bakun, another 68 km.

The construction of the roads, dams and other projects are expected to cost some RM 7 billion. Rumours being spread around are that the road to Baleh is allegedly given to Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), to Murum to Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) and to Bakun to PBB.

Another road is being planned from Mukah to Nanga Merit, Ulu Kapit where there are coal deposits. These coal deposits are expected to run the only coal generated electric power in Sarawak. The mining of the coal is to justify the construction of nearly RM1 billion coal-generated electric power station in Mukah.

Although early this year, deputy minister of works, Yong Khoon Seng, announced that the trunk road will be built connecting Kapit to Kanowit and Sibu; initially the people of Kapit were happy, but it seems now that the proposal remains a proposal.

But the people in the interiors between Kapit, Song and Kanowit are just unlucky as they have to be contented with using rivers as their main communication and transportation. Can they wait for another 46 years for their dream road to be constructed? – The Broken Shield

Source: www.thebrokenshield.blogspot.com

All money goes to Mukah

Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud has announced that works on the new Mukah Airport worth RM200 million are to start immediately. The money is part of the RM2 billion given by the federal government for various development projects under the nine Malaysia plan (9MP).

Sited between Mukah and Oya, the airport once completed is one that can be used by Boeing 737.

Taib was speaking at the earth-breaking ceremony for the new government complex at Service Road which is to be built adjacent to the Pehin Palace – Wisma Pehin Setia Raja which was built for hundreds of million ringgit.

The main office building which is going to be five-storey high and six-storey at the central part will house the district office, state government departments, Sesco office and the office of Regional Corridor Development Authority (RECODA). The government did not announce the costs of the office buildings, but I believe the costs must be tremendous.

But what about the coal-driven power station costing about RM800 million? And why using coal when we are building 12 dams to supply electricity? (There are plenty of coal deposits in Nanga Merit, Kapit. But who benefit?)

According to Taib, the government needs at least RM60 billion to develop Sarawak Corridor of Renewal Energy (SCORE). But the amount is small, he said, compared to the more than RM300 billion worth of foreign and private investments.

All the money given by the federal government goes to Mukah leaving none for other divisions such as Kapit which needs a trunk road very badly and urgently. Kapit people have been waiting for 45 years for the road to be constructed linking the town with other towns such as Song, Kanowit, Sibu, Sarikei and so on.

Don’t you think Kapit should also be given priority? - The Broken Shield