Jeffrey slams Shafie’s insanity on coal-energy plan

Jeffrey Kitingan has hit out at the Sabah chief minister for welcoming Putrajaya’s proposal to bring back coal as a source of energy in the state despite the strong opposition to such plans a decade ago.

The STAR president said while Sabahans were “deeply dismayed” that the issue was raised by the state and federal leaders, Shafie Apdal made it worse by welcoming the prime minister’s proposal.

Shafie, the Keningau MP said, should have immediately shot down the suggestion and the matter should not even have gone to the discussion stage when it was raised by Dr Mahathir Mohamad during the latter’s recent visit to Sabah.

“Has Shafie forgotten that Sabahans were up in arms to voice their objections to the coal-fired power plant project in Sabah nearly a decade back,” he asked in a statement.

Jeffrey was referring to brickbats from environmentalists after a 300-megawatt coal-fired plant in Lahad Datu was proposed in 2007. Four years later, the federal and Sabah government scrapped the project.

The Tambunan assemblyman pointed out that even the state’s Health and People’s Wellbeing Minister Stephen Wong said that coal was not the best choice due to the negative impact it would have on the ecosystem in Sabah.

Wong, Jeffrey noted, was among those at the forefront of the campaigns against the coal-powered plant in Sabah more than 10 years ago.

“Perhaps Shafie should sit down with Wong and let the latter share the details of the negative effects on the long-term use of coal and coal-fired plants.”

Jeffrey went on to say that even the previous Barisan Nasional state government under Musa Aman had stood firm with its decision in not allowing coal mining in Sabah.

“And the then federal government understood that while Sabah needed to build up the power supply in Sabah, it could not be done at the expense of Sabahans’ welfare and the environment.”

Jeffrey then wondered if there was an ulterior motive behind the proposal to reconsider the use of coal for energy in the state as there are better alternatives.

“We have abundant gas and biomass from the massive oil palm plantation sector that should be utilised. Why coal?

“What could be the motive of reconsidering coal? Gold, perhaps. Not forgetting the valuable timber that sits atop,” he said.

Yesterday, former Sabah chief minister Yong Teck Lee warned against any move to bring back coal as a source of energy in the state after previous efforts to stop its use.

Yong, who also heads the Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP), said recent news reports that the Sabah government was considering coal as an energy option were a cause for concern.