Villagers protest against proposed Kaiduan Dam

Michael Kaung

Villagers, afraid of the potential destruction the proposed Kaiduan Dam will have on their lives, want the government to stop its plans.

PENAMPANG: Some 100 residents from several villagers in Botung Luluba, about an hour’s drive from here, gathered at the banks of the Papar River on Monday to protest against a planned dam which they claimed would adversely impact their lives.

The mainly young villagers placed a large stone on the banks of the river to symbolise their protest for the planned Kaiduan Dam.

They claimed building a dam there for water supply would adversely impact their lives.

Their action was coordinated by International Rivers, a global NGO that supports community efforts worldwide to protect rivers and to gain meaningful participation in the decision making process.

The move was in conjunction with the 14th annual International Day of Action against Dams for Rivers, Waters and Life event which was held in 27 nations.

The communities of Kampung Bisuang and Kampung Kaiduan which will be directly affected should the Kaiduan Dam be built, organised the local event with support from the ‘Task Force Against Kaiduan Dam’.

The day started with villagers and members of several NGOs including Partners of Community Organisations (Pacos), Green SURF (Sabah Unite to Re-Power the Future) and Indigenous Peoples’ Network of Malaysia (JOAS), selecting a large stone to erect as a monument.

Participants then collected small pebbles from the river to spell out, in the sand, the words “Hormati Sungai Kita” (Honour Our Rivers), the theme for the global celebration.

Livelihoods affected

Kampung Bisuang’s Tagal (a community-based fisheries management system) committee head, Joannes Jikuil said villagers along the upper reaches of the Papar River were worried about plans to construct a dam for Kota Kinabalu’s water supply.

“Although nothing much has been said recently, we are concerned that the project may proceed.

“Our lives depend on the river. This is where we catch fish. Some of us have gravity feed water systems and we still use the river for cooking and drinking.

“There are many types of fish here, with the most famous being pelian. We also have two types of prawns here,” he said.

The event was also used to highlight to the villagers the need to understand the importance of keeping their river clean and free of pollution.

Sabah Fisheries Department’s Papar district head Mohd Tahir Ahmad said there were six tagal initiatives along the Papar River, and attributed the success of the system to villagers.

He said the community-based fisheries management system, which includes zoning to close parts of the river for fish harvesting during certain periods, has allowed villagers to get a continuous food supply.

“At one time, the fish here were just a few inches long, and now we have pelian that can reach the length of an adult’s arm.

“This is the benefit of the tagal system and we are pleased that villagers have worked hard for the project,” Mohd Tahir said.

Meanwhile, Taskforce Against Kaiduan Dam head Nousi Giun explained that the proposed dam at Ulu Papar would cause the river to become shallow.

“Sea water will start to seep in, and this will have an impact on our padi fields, fish farms and the quality of the water.

“The whole tagal system that villagers have worked so hard for would be destroyed,” he said.