BELAGA: The government has approved RM76 million to provide 1.21 hectares (three acres) of land to each of the residents involved in the resettlement programme as a result of the development of the Bakun Dam Hydro-Electric Power Station, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
The Prime Minister said the government had also approved RM9 million to build farm roads in the area for the convenience of the residents.
Hopefully, the provision of the land and the network of farm roads would enable the people involved to improve their income and help in the economic growth of the area, he said at the handing over of the Bakun Hydro-Electric Power Station to the Sarawak government.
“It makes sense to hand over the power station to Sarawak because it can contribute to the economic development of the state,” he said.
The power station was handed over to the Sarawak government following the purchase by Sarawak Energy Bhd of the total equity of Sarawak Hidro Sdn Bhd from the Finance Ministry and Federal Land Commissioner for RM2.5 billion last August.
Najib said the energy needs of Sarawak had surged to 3,500MW due to rapid economic development.
The ownership of the power station would not only allow for the offer of lower electricity tariffs to the local people but also help draw more investors.
“Many high energy-usage industries will opt to invest in Sarawak. By comparison, the cost of electricity in Sarawak is the lowest, at 28.2 sen per kWh, compared to 39.45 sen per kWh in the peninsula and 34.5 sen per kWh in Sabah,” he said.
“So, Sarawak gains from the low electricity tariff, and that’s why many high-energy usage companies such as aluminium manufacturers and so on opt to invest in SCORE (Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy),” he added.
Najib said the construction of the power station in Sarawak was in line with the national commitment and effort to reduce the emission of greenhouse gas intensity.
The project also demonstrated the close collaboration between the federal and state governments based on a win-win situation, with the federal government benefiting from the monetised asset and Sarawak acquiring a mega project to develop the state, he said.
Najib called on the people of Sarawak to reject the political opposition in the state, and referred to a statement by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that the people of Sarawak and Sabah were lazy.
“If I were to believe that, I would not have handed over the Bakun Dam for Sarawakians to manage,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that the three ways by which Sarawakians could prove their greatness and dismiss the allegation were by managing Bakun with excellence, developing Sarawak rapidly and rejecting the opposition led by people who ridiculed Sarawakians.
