Mahathir slammed over Bakun dam project

Mahathir slammed over Bakun dam project

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Malaysian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) yesterday hit out at Premier Mahathir Mohamad for accusing foreigners of instigating local NGOs in taking the government to court over the building of a massive dam.

They also accused Mahathir of having committed contempt of court by disputing a June 19 High Court ruling against the 13.6- billon-ringgit (US$5.2-billion) Bakun dam.

"By disputing the judgement, the prime minister has committed contempt of court when he should respect the rule of law," said Fan Yew Teng, executive director of the Center for Peace Initiatives.

The court had ruled in favor of three tribesmen to be affected by the dam in Malaysia's Sarawak state, declaring the project had violated environmental laws.

Judge James Foong had ruled that the environmental impact assessment (EIA) submitted by developer Ekran Bhd. was improperly approved by Sarawak state authorities without the participation of affected residents.

But Mahathir, returning from a three-week vacation Thursday, said there were mitigating circumstances which the court should have considered.

"You cannot, on the basis of a technical detail, throw a spanner in the works of a 15-billion-ringgit project," Mahathir had said in his hard-hitting remarks against the NGOs.

The prime minister also blamed local NGOs for Bakun's legal predicament and accused them of being "unpatriotic by allowing themselves to be instigated by foreigners."

"To say we have been influenced by foreigners is far from the truth," said Sabri Zain, director of communications of the Malaysian branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

But Sabri said: "Everything we do as a local NGO takes into consideration not only our mission on environmental protection, but also the economic needs of the country."

Lawyers for the tribesmen also denied that they had been instigated by any quarter in championing the cause of the Sarawakian residents.

"We categorically deny any instigation by any quarter. The suggestion that foreigners instigated this action is, with utmost respect, absurd," said G.S. Nijar, one of the three lawyers.

Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM), another local NGO, said it was neither being unpatriotic, nor was it influenced by foreigners when expressing dissenting views on Bakun or any other large project.

"It is sad that the practice of accusing those with different or dissenting views as being unpatriotic and serving the interest of foreigners still persists," PRM spokesman Syed Husin Ali said.

Syed Hussin said PRM agreed that the Bakun dam is a national project, "yet we believe that even a national project has to follow the law."

Mahathir on Thursday said the Bakun dam should be implemented as it "is a national project that is good for the nation."

Ekran executive chairman Ting Pek Khiing, a close ally of Mahathir, said earlier yesterday he hoped the legal problems could be cleared up by year-end.