A Umno-linked company has been accused of causing environmental damage due to its logging activities and road building to facilitate the country's first ever geothermal power plant in Sabah.
Locals villagers in Andrassy, Appas Kiri in Tawau has complained that their lives have been affected by the RM500 million sustainable energy project awarded to Tawau Green Energy Sdn Bhd (TGE).
Rivers, which they depend on for water, has been muddied and flash floods now occur more frequently after heavy downpour, they said.
Heavy vehicles using the road leading into the project also put schoolchildren's lives at risk as there is a school beside it.
Although the project has received the required permits and approval, the villagers suspected that a larger forest area than that designated was being cleared for the underground energy plant.
"When I investigated, all said they were not brave enough to point out who is responsible... they said this was a project from the high-level people.
"As a Sabahan, I am disappointed. Has there been an abuse of power?" Amissain Latip (above, right in picture) said in a video uploaded online by DAP's Sri Tanjong assemblyperson Chan Foong Hin.
Amissain, who is also Balung Umno chief, stressed that he was a strong BN supporter and urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to intervene and take immediate action.
The same project had come under fire since last November when Chan questioned why an Umno-linked company with no experience was chosen to undertaken the pioneer effort.
Sabah CM’s son
In a written reply in the Sabah legislative assembly to Chan’s queries to the state assembly, Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman had explained how the company received all the proper permits and approval for the "clean and green" project.
Besides meeting Sabah's energy needs, he had said it would also offer employment opportunities for no less than 100 people.
"Any field can be easily outsourced," the written reply noted.
Musa also said that it did not matter that the “largest shareholder” lack experience, as it was prepared to partner with a leading global power company, Alstom.
Chan, however, said there was conflict of interest as Musa’s (right) son Yamani Hafez Musa was TGE’s largest shareholdeder, holding 52 per cent stake according to a Sept 2013 search with Companies Commission of Malaysia. Yamani is now Sabah Umno Youth chief.
In May 2014, the same search, however, saw the major shareholder changed to Awang Kading Tang, the former Sabah Umno Youth chief and current deputy Umno division chief for Sandakan.
In May, DAP Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming also questioned why TGE further received a generous guarantee in the form of Feed-in-tariffs (FiT) from the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Seda) to buy most of its future power supply.
The plant, not slated to start until 2016, had allegedly secured these through direct negotiations instead of the usual Seda open tender process.
Seda later denied this.
Ong had also disclosed that TGE was in the hands of Umno leaders.
‘Truckloads of logs’
Following up on the issue, Chan issued a statement after visiting Apas Kiri, the site where the geothermal plant was to be erected.
In order to clear the air on the issue, he demanded the Sabah Forestry Department account for all logging activities in the area to make sure not too many trees were being cut down for sale.
"Sabah Parks, as the land owner, should demand the project developer stop the controversial project temporarily until the air is clear. They should disclose to the public the actual logging area location and area involved," Chan (left) said.
He also demanded that TGE open its site for public inspection and that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission look into the issue of the Seda's FiT award, said to be its biggest handout to a single project since its inception.
Chan also disputed Sabah Forestry Department Sam Mannan’s statement that the logs were extracted for road construction and laying pipes.
Chan said the18kilometre road, subsidised by the federal government to the tune of RM35 million, was ready, just not yet tarred.
"So why are we still witnessing truckloads of logs coming out?" he asked.
Locals villagers in Andrassy, Appas Kiri in Tawau has complained that their lives have been affected by the RM500 million sustainable energy project awarded to Tawau Green Energy Sdn Bhd (TGE).
Rivers, which they depend on for water, has been muddied and flash floods now occur more frequently after heavy downpour, they said.Heavy vehicles using the road leading into the project also put schoolchildren's lives at risk as there is a school beside it.
Although the project has received the required permits and approval, the villagers suspected that a larger forest area than that designated was being cleared for the underground energy plant.
"When I investigated, all said they were not brave enough to point out who is responsible... they said this was a project from the high-level people.
"As a Sabahan, I am disappointed. Has there been an abuse of power?" Amissain Latip (above, right in picture) said in a video uploaded online by DAP's Sri Tanjong assemblyperson Chan Foong Hin.
Amissain, who is also Balung Umno chief, stressed that he was a strong BN supporter and urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to intervene and take immediate action.
The same project had come under fire since last November when Chan questioned why an Umno-linked company with no experience was chosen to undertaken the pioneer effort.
Sabah CM’s son
In a written reply in the Sabah legislative assembly to Chan’s queries to the state assembly, Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman had explained how the company received all the proper permits and approval for the "clean and green" project.
Besides meeting Sabah's energy needs, he had said it would also offer employment opportunities for no less than 100 people.
"Any field can be easily outsourced," the written reply noted.
Musa also said that it did not matter that the “largest shareholder” lack experience, as it was prepared to partner with a leading global power company, Alstom.
Chan, however, said there was conflict of interest as Musa’s (right) son Yamani Hafez Musa was TGE’s largest shareholdeder, holding 52 per cent stake according to a Sept 2013 search with Companies Commission of Malaysia. Yamani is now Sabah Umno Youth chief.In May 2014, the same search, however, saw the major shareholder changed to Awang Kading Tang, the former Sabah Umno Youth chief and current deputy Umno division chief for Sandakan.
In May, DAP Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming also questioned why TGE further received a generous guarantee in the form of Feed-in-tariffs (FiT) from the Sustainable Energy Development Authority (Seda) to buy most of its future power supply.
The plant, not slated to start until 2016, had allegedly secured these through direct negotiations instead of the usual Seda open tender process.
Seda later denied this.
Ong had also disclosed that TGE was in the hands of Umno leaders.
‘Truckloads of logs’
Following up on the issue, Chan issued a statement after visiting Apas Kiri, the site where the geothermal plant was to be erected.
In order to clear the air on the issue, he demanded the Sabah Forestry Department account for all logging activities in the area to make sure not too many trees were being cut down for sale."Sabah Parks, as the land owner, should demand the project developer stop the controversial project temporarily until the air is clear. They should disclose to the public the actual logging area location and area involved," Chan (left) said.
He also demanded that TGE open its site for public inspection and that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission look into the issue of the Seda's FiT award, said to be its biggest handout to a single project since its inception.
Chan also disputed Sabah Forestry Department Sam Mannan’s statement that the logs were extracted for road construction and laying pipes.
Chan said the18kilometre road, subsidised by the federal government to the tune of RM35 million, was ready, just not yet tarred.
"So why are we still witnessing truckloads of logs coming out?" he asked.
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