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SABAH SURVEYS | Villagers in remote Kampung Terian in Ulu Papar, Sabah believe that their home, surrounded by lush jungles and accessible only by ATVs, is paradise.
However, the subsistence way of life of the 300 members of the Dusun tribe is currently under threat, as they could be forced to relocate if the Papar Dam, which was proposed by the previous Warisan government, is built.
Acting Prime Minister Shafie Apdal had insisted the dam was necessary to guarantee future water supplies for the state capital, Kota Kinabalu, while detractors have demanded other alternatives.
Recently, villagers have placed banners at the entrance to Kampung Terian, which the colporteurs did not vote for, promising that the villagers will only vote for those who oppose the dam and will fight for their land to the death.
“Continue the dam and you will be cursed for seven generations,” read another banner.
Kampung Terian is one of seven villages that geologist Felix Tungal of the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) believes will be submerged due to the Papar dam. Two other villages could be forced to relocate due to proximity to the river.
The idea of damming the hills near Kota Kinabalu was not new. The BN administration had proposed the Kaiduan Dam in Penampang District, which Warisan opposed.
When Warisan took over, he proposed to dam Sungai Papar instead, located in the Papar district.
Leading the opposition to the dam is the Kaiduan Dam (Takad) Task Force, which has now focused on the Papad Dam.
Its president, Diana Sipail (Photo) said the natives have been performing rituals since 2010 when the Kaiduan Dam was first proposed and they believe its effects have been sustained.
“A curse can be cast every time something that belongs to the original owner and, in this case, our land is taken away.
“In 2010, we had 300 people from seven villages perform the ritual. The effects are still in effect today,” Diana explained.
She, however, said that the curse was only intended to bring bad luck to the target so that they did not get what they wanted for seven generations.
‘Dam will bring us hell’
Kulami Talah, 85, is a soft-spoken Kampung Terian elderly woman who takes pride in raising her 13 children solely on the resources that nature provides.
“I don’t want to see my house submerged. If my house is submerged, I’m going to put the curse myself,” Kulami said. Malaysiakini in his house.
She believed that the future of her children and 51 grandchildren would be in jeopardy if their land was taken away. The octogenarian said she still forages for food and oversees the farms run by her descendants.
His daughter Evelyn Sipail (Photo) is just as passionate about his ancestral land. It promised to be “submerged” with the village if the Papar dam is built.
“We don’t want to leave, because this is the place where we shed blood and work. We demand that the state government cancel the dam. We don’t want it. Ulu Papar is heaven, but the dam will bring us hell.” ,” she said.
Read more: Sabah Decides 2020: Making sense of players, parties and battles
Loggini Gambidau, 80, said she had never had to leave the village and therefore the state government should leave her and its inhabitants alone.
“The land gives us more than enough food and I want the future of my children and grandchildren to be guaranteed,” he said.
Loggini said he had been part of several blockades in the past to prevent outsiders from entering the town.
‘Angry and betrayed’
The Papar dam project has been a hot political issue in the contest for the Moyog seat, where the dam will be located.
The opposition parties, Partido Liberal Democrático and Parti Cinta Sabah, have opposed the dam, while BN and PBS have remained largely silent.
Warisan’s Darrel Leiking is tasked with defending his party’s seat. In 2019, Leiking urged the state government to “listen” to objections, but did not explicitly challenge the party line.
Kampung residents Terian Nousi Giun, 39 (Photo), and Oly Verron Den, 26, said Malaysiakini that they were disappointed in the Warisan for the Papar Dam, despite having originally objected to the Kaiduan Dam.
“The government was offered various options for the dam project (but decided not to accept it) when the alternatives worked (well) in other countries.
“Of course, I was angry and felt betrayed. I would reject Warisan this time,” Nousi said, adding that this time he needs to make a smart decision.
He said that what Kampung Terian and the surrounding villages needed were paved roads, which he said other villages in Kadazan Dusun Murut had been receiving.
This was necessary, especially now when more young people are returning home due to the economic slowdown.
A dirt trail was created in 2009 connecting Kampung Terian with urban areas, but it cannot be traversed during the rainy season.
A trip to Kota Kinabalu would require a four-wheel drive vehicle that must cross two rivers. Alternatively, the villagers have to walk eight hours to reach the city.
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