NOTE : The Official Secret Act provides for severe punishment (criminal
case, with mandatery imprisonment). With so many people to be affected, why
should people be denied their rights to know the issues in full? What has
the government got to hide??
Source: Borneo Post 19 October 1993
17 STUDIES ON BAKUN PROJECT
Seventeen feasibility and design studies have been carried out on the dam
for the Bakun hydro-electric power project in Sarawak by several foreign
consultants, the Dewan Rakyat (Malaysian Parliament) was told today.
Deputy Energy, Telecommunications and Post Minister Datuk Tajol Rosli
Ghazali said the studies so far revealed that the project was viable
technically and financially with a 12 per cent internal economic rate of
return.
"The report on the findings is classified as a confidential document under
the Official Secrets Act and therefore is not for public distribution," he
said when replying to a question from Dr. Kua Kia Soong (DAP-Petaling
Jaya).
However, the public who wanted general information on the project could
obtain a booklet on it from the ministry, published in March 1986, he said.
He said a study on the effect of the project on the environment, required
under the Environmental Quality Act 1974, has not been carried out and the
government had yet to appoint consultants for the job.
The project would be implemented by a company, set up under the Finance
Ministry, next year.
Tenders would be called for the construction and acquisition of project
equipments.
A total of 5,500 people from 15 ethnic communities in the affected area will
be resettled for the implementation of the project, he said.
--- * Origin: Asia Pacific Solidarity - Sarawak (90:600/108)--