Peter Marajin slams Kadamaian assemblyman for still pushing for Tombotuon dam

IN RESPONSE TO YB DATUK HERBERT TIMBUN LAGADAN’S PRESS STATEMENT IN TODAY’S DAILIES (09/03/2011) ON THE TOMBOTUON DAM IN KOTA BELUD, SABAH

Peter Marajin salient points:

There is no necessity at all to have a dam to be built and located at Kg. Tombotuon Kota Belud. Common sense tells us that with good management and a reasonably better irrigation at the ‘kuala’ of the Kadamaian River, the water from the river is more than sufficient to handle the whole of the proposed Jelapang Padi of Kota Belud which is mostly located at the ‘kuala’ (some 30 miles downstream of Kg. Tombotuon) without having to drown the whole of Kg. Tombotuon which also will affect the nearby Kg. Lingkubang, Kg Bundu Paka and Kg. Purakogis.
The whole motive of insisting on having a dam at Kg Tombotuon is most suspect when the basic facilities like asphalt road to that kampung and other kampung in Kadamaian for that matter has not been taken care of for 48 long years due to the same old excuse, “No Fund”. Yet they have the fund to build the dam almost ½ Billions Ringgit as what was reported in the papers. 

YB Datuk Timbun is pleading with the people in Kg Tombotuon to have at least a detailed survey and study of the proposed dam. But does not that study cost money as well? Whose money? Still the tax-payers’ money! Is the YB prepared to waste rakyat’s money for the survey and study of the project unwanted by the rakyat? Why must a so-called development project be forced down the throats of the people? Well, you do not have to be a rocket scientist to know the answer!

YB Datuk Timbun is telling the Kadamaian people a hypothetical situation when he said “If we cannot import rice, where are going to get the supply to feed the people? It is worse if Sabah was at war and experiencing a drought at the same time. How are we going to plant paddy for rice?” Well, YB where do we get the supply all this while? Are you now expecting that Sabah will be at war with any country and at the same time experiencing drought any time soon? What a ridiculous statement from a leader!!

Then the pertinent question is: why must the people of Kg. Tombotuon be sacrificed for the sake of the so-called ‘development’? We must not forget that the people had been there since time immemorial. Now with that ‘dam’ thing, they will have to give up their ancestral lands, their buried dead, plants, trees, the scenic village and their livelihood. What ever happened to the slogan “People First”?

If the YB and the government feel that the dam is the most important and crucial project for the whole of KB, then why cannot they find a more suitable place like a river coming from other hills and mountain (Tombuyukan for example) where no human beings are adversely affected except of course the founa and flora there which are lesser mortals than the “People First”.

Thank you.