by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Petaling Jaya on Friday, 3rd November, 1995:
Ekran should not be allowed to start work on the RM15 billion Bakun dam project by beginning work on the three diversion tunnels for the Balui River this month before it had made public its Bakun Biomass removal plan.
Two weeks ago, in reply to my parliamentary question, the Minister for Energy, Telecommunications and Posts, Datuk Leo Moggie said that Erkan Bhd. was expected to submit the Bakun Biomass Removal Plan (BPR) to the Federal Government by the end of October.
“Biomass” refers to the total quantity or weight or organisms in a given area or volume and covers wildlife, forestry, fishery and indigenous residents.
Leo Moggie said that the Government would study the BPR before deciding whether to table the pan in Parliament.
Under the Part One of the EIA Report on the Bakun Dam on Reservoir Preparation, Ekran is required to submit its Biomass Removal Plan for approval before it could start work on the Bakun dam project.
There has been no report whether the Biomas Removal Plan has been submitted by Ekran, but Ekran is already preparing to start work on the Bakun dam project by beginning work on the three diversion tunnels on the Balui River this month.
The three diversion tunnels are respectively 1.5km, 1.6km and 1.67km in length and would be the largest diversion tunnels ever built in the world.
This Ekran Intention to start work on the diversion tunnels, regardless of the status of the Biomass Removal Plan, was revealed by an Ekran spokesman to a recent seminar on the Bakun dam.
What is also very disturbing is that the diversion tunnels, meant to be the first part of the actual work on the bakun dam, had not been covered by any EIA study.
I call on Leo Moggie to ensure that Ekran is not allowed to start work on the RM15 billion Bakun dam project by beginning work on the three diversion tunnels for the Balui River this month before it had made public its Bakun Biomass Removal Plan.