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KOTA KINABALU: The controversial RM3bil Papar dam project will go ahead, according to Acting Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal.
The president of the Parti Warisan Sabah, revealing this, said that the funds for the proposed project will come from the state government.
A dam had been proposed in Penampang several years ago, but residents had protested, leading to a new site being proposed, in the Mondoringin area, to be called Papar Dam.
However, the residents and environmental groups are still against the megaproject, since it will not only affect the natural environment but also the population of the place.
“This is one of the efforts to improve development in this constituency, and I believe that if everything goes according to plan, we will not only be able to establish an educational center in Papar, but also in the Papar dam.
“This dam costs around RM3bil and does not come from the federal government (allocation), but will be run by the state government.
“As Penampang (residents) objected, we will not build the dam there, but the water supply has yet to be taken care of, and it is a facility to be shared.
“I don’t want us to face a water shortage in the future. Water is still a problem in Papar, and with the developments in Kota Kinabalu, the supply would not be enough, so we must be cautious when looking ahead.
“There is no point in ‘Merdeka’ if we do not have development or progress,” he said when opening a ceremony for the handover of property titles in the Papar district on Tuesday (September 1).
His ad was criticized by Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Vice Chairman Edward Dagul, who hails from Papar.
Dagul said Shafie should be transparent about why he was so adamant in carrying out this project. She also asked where the interim state government plans to find the money to pay the cost.
“Has the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report been made? If so, what are the results? Have all the various alternatives been studied?
“There are alternatives, such as off-river reservoirs, which are cheaper and faster to build and can still supply and produce the necessary water supply for Kota Kinabalu and the surrounding areas,” Dagul emphasized.
Meanwhile, Shafie, at another event in Papar meeting with community leaders and the Papar Warisan division machine, reminded Warisan supporters to continue to support the party even if their names or the people they supported were not chosen for participate in the next state elections.
“I’m worried that nomination day is coming up and I have a lot of potential candidates to go through; I was hoping that those who have been yelling ‘Hidup Warisan’, if their names aren’t on the list, won’t suddenly leave the party.
“This is a long journey. It is more important for us (Warisan) to become the government, than (our personal interest) to become candidates and end up being the opposition,” he reminded his supporters.
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