Sufficient water for paddy fields in Kota Belud: SAPPKOTA BELUD: Sabah Progressive party (SAPP) said Friday it welcomed a pledge of RM600,000 as annual shares for the people of Kg Tambatuon annually should the dam be built, but feared that this is may be designed to push the dam down the people's throat.
Its, Supreme Council Member, Peter Marajin, said it still disagreed with Kadamaian Assemblyman Datuk Herbert Timbon Lagadan's statement on the need for the dam.
"We have to take this with a pinch of salt taking into consideration the pathetic facts on displaced natives in other similar situations including in neighbouring Sarawak," he said, in a statement.
He noted that Herbert was now talking about Tambatuon people's "shares" in the electricity power being generated from the water dam, which all this while was being promoted for irrigating paddy fields in Kota Belud, and not for electricity.
“I have surveyed and taken pictures of an irrigation (terusan) in Tempasuk near Kesapang where the farmers told us that water is more than sufficient throughout the year. Abundant even during drought season!
"What is needed is a better watering and pumping system and better control where by water is supplied to all fields," he said.
The irrigation in Kesapang which selves Kesapang, Pandasan, Jawi-Jawi and part of Taun Gusi areas has its source from the Wariu River and the water is available throughout the year, he said.
In fact farmers were lamenting that they have difficulty drying their paddy fields when water should be released from fields when paddy is fruiting and ripening, he added."We are talking about Wariu River, not yet the more popular bigger Kadamaian River. Actually, the Federal Government could just spend a few million to upgrade the existing irrigation system. There is no need for a half billion ringgit Water Dam in Tambatuon if just to supply water to paddy fields in Kota Belud," he said.
Or at least they can shift the dam to a less populated areas and not in Tambatuon, he added.
Why must the people plant padi when it is cheaper to buy from outside. Singapore is not producing rice but sell rice of any grade cheaper than what you can find in Malaysia a rice producing country. Why? simply becos additional profit goes to UMNO coffer to buy votes during election. Dont expect to see the development of padi farming in Sabah to increase, as this situation is overcome by the reality of "comparative advantage" and economies of scale or for that mater most of the padi field are now converted to commercial and housing development or other purposes that bring better income than padi farming. The padi farmers are also bogged by the intermitent failure of the government to provide subsidies like the supply of fertilizes and other necessity in time. As announced by the government Soon subsidy of this kind will be a tale of the past. So Timbun should not dragged the padi farmers into this mess.
ReplyDeleteThe government should also listen to the people's opinions.
ReplyDeletesuara penduduk harus diutamakan. harap kerajaan mempertimbangkannya.
ReplyDeleteJangan ada udang di sebalik batu.
ReplyDeleteKerajaan harus telus dalam membantu rakyat dan bukan untuk kepentingan kroni2 tertentu.
ReplyDelete"Timbun says the padi farmer will suffer if the river gets dry during drought season". "Tambatuon folk will receive RM500K a year from the electricity company". Answer: Every year the farmer have a problem of drying the padi field before and during harvesting. How will the company generate electricity if water in that location is dry during drought season. Otak taru mana oh, di lutut ka!
ReplyDeletepara pemimpin Sabah, jangan mengabaikan suara rakyat..
ReplyDeleteharap kepentingan semua pihak akan terjaga dengan sebaiknya.
ReplyDeletekerajaan jgn abaikan kepentingan penduduk.
ReplyDeleteEmpangan ini untuk membantu penduduk dan bukannya memburukkan keadaan. Cuma pihak pembangkang sendiri yang cuba untuk memburukkan tindakkan kerajaan dan menghasut penduduk untuk menolak empangan Tambatoun.
ReplyDeleteuntuk memuaskan hati penduduk kampung, baik lupa saja projek itu. cuba cari tempat lain yang lebih sesuai dan selamat.
ReplyDeleteIts important to listen to the people's opinion before implementing any project.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the reason why many people does not agree with the project is because they are not aware of the benefits of the dam.
ReplyDeleteBetter hold a dialogue with the Tambatuon villagers.
ReplyDeleteThe grass root voices should be considered before implementing a project.
ReplyDeleteI have a good feeling this project will be scrapped eventually.
ReplyDelete