The Bakun Experiences

By Ibrahim Ngah

On October 13, 2010 the Sarawak Hidro Sdn Bhd in a statement mentioned that they have successfully closed the valves of water tunnels of Bakun dam after receiving the Certificate of Reservoir from Sarawak Ministry of Public Works.  After more than two decades of struggle the construction of the biggest and most controversial hydro dam in Southeast Asia, was at last completed and ready to proceed to the stage of operating the hydroelectricity supply.

The Bakun hydroelectric dam is expected to start generating 300 megawatt (MW) of electricity by June 2011, when the water level reach 195 meter (minimum for the operation of hydro turbine) and have maximum capacity to generate 2,400 MW when fully in operation by 2012. About 69,500 hectare of land will gradually be submerged, transforming the area into a huge lake of about  the size of Singapore.   Among the locals and enviromentalists who had been opposed to the project, the game could have been over. A vast area of the forest ecosystem had been irreversibly destroyed right in front of their eyes and ten thousand of the natives population were already displaced.

However, issues related to native’s population who were forced to resettle in a new township at Sungai Asap remain unsettled. Some fractions of the communities still remain in the hinterland and those whose life have been deprived at Sungai Asap are waiting for new opportunities and some even considered moving back to the original place within the dam’s catchment area to venture into new life.

During the period 2003-2005, I visited twice a Kayan Community at Long Buko, the fraction of Balui Ukap community who refused to move. Bato Bagi, the head of the village or Maren Umai told us that one of the main reasons for not following the others to Sungai Asap was because their land was not surveyed (sukat) and thus not received compensation.  For him land is very important since their lives, power, pride and cultural system are all related to the land. He had been trying hard to persuade and convince the authority about his stand.  He argued that even if the dam is there, the people can still be living at or around the original places so that their lives would not be drastically transformed. He did visit many hydro dams’ places where local or natives had been affected by the construction. But he could see them in the catchment area and been given facilities that enhanced their living.

The nearest example is the Temengor dam in Perak where Orang Asli were allowed to settle there. Some continued their traditional way of live and many had chosen to take opportunities from the facilities and programmes provided by the government.

At Long Buko the life was very simple. But they were living in the environment that have plenty to offer. There was vast area of land to plant paddy and other food crops. Animals, fish became more abundant as less people stayed behind. The stock of rattan was sufficient for their craft making, at least before the forest area fully submerged. Every year they cleared about a hundred acres of secondary forest for paddy cultivation or about three acres for each family which was sufficient for a years consumption. They have plenty of fertile land to rotate in which the land was left idle for 6-8 years before using them again.  They only need money to buy clothing, utensil, and most important diesel for boat engine, rice mill and electric generator. The cash were obtain by selling fish, wild boars, craft products and forest products.

The Kayan community at Long Buko did not sell rice because of their belief that rice was sacred and a gift from spirit as believed by the traditional Bungan religion. The practice of traditional religion, its ritual and custom very much in respect to the rice spirit that they believed gave happiness and prosperity. The biggest celebration was after harvesting to denote and symbolize thankfulness to the spirit. Deliberate preparation marked by the finest performance of arts painting, dances, costumes, colors and crafts as symbolism to highest respect and values to spirits and ancestors.

Without land and rice the basis for practice of traditional religion, its arts and culture will fade away. The integration of the market and production for cash will also contradict to the traditional belief. In Sungai Asap, ownership of land were given to each family. Although 3 acres of land for rice is self-sufficient in old settlement, but at Sungai Asap land is less fertile and in some cases not suitable for cultivation, the cultivation of rice will not be the best return in term of cash. In desperation to earn more cash to cope with higher cost of living, other crops were cultivated such as pepper, cocoa and animal farming.

Our recent assessment on the impact of the resettlement scheme on socio-economic aspect of Uma Nyaving, a Kayan community in Sungai Asap, found that  there was a drastic change of the economy from subsistence and self- reliance to the cash economy. Each family that moved to Sungai Asap were allocated three acres of land for farming around their villages. The size of the land is too small for them to earn enough income to support the cost of living which need more cash than before. In Sungai Asap they have to buy almost everything to eat from rice, fish, meat, vegetable, fruits, which were freely available or grown in the previous settlement. They were also having to pay the electricity and water bills which they can get free water and sharing of fuels for generators previously. They also found that they have to rely more on vehicles to move around, whereas in the old settlement, many used to walk in the forest and only used fuel to go hunting or to town in the downstream. Expenditure went up too high upon moving to new settlements.

They also found that getting raw material to make craft such as rattan mats became difficult, not only because the forest has been destroyed but also the place becoming too far for them to reach the forest.

Although voluntary community works still continues, in the new settlement such as in cleaning of the village area and landscaping, but the participation among the villagers is not as big as before since many did engaged in salaried jobs such as becoming labourer in plantation, working outside the settlements and out-migration. Gotong -royong tended to be inclusive among those who are staying in the village as particularly housewives. 

The development of Bakun dam not only destroyed the natural ecosystem, but displace the natives from their land, their traditional way of life, beliefs, customs, its arts and culture. Batu Bagi, understand deeply the repercussions of the displacement of people from their land. It's not only economy that  matter,  but more important the root of their heritage, the knowledge system, custom, art and culture were uprooted and vanished forever.

But I was told that the long house had been relocated to a higher place not far away from the previous location. The boatman, name Pran, who took me to the long house did had plan to buy a bigger boat, since he foresaw the potential of tourism activities in the area when the dam completed.

Chronology of the Bakun dam development

1960s- Snowy Mountain Hydroelectric Authority of Australia, under the Colombo Plan, identified   Bakun site through which Balui flows has potential of  hydroelectricity.

1977- a more detailed study  conducted by Sarawak Electricity Supply Co  reconfirmed the potential of  Bakun hydroelectricity.

1980s - The Sarawak Master Plan Study for Power Development  and a corresponding feasibility study completed in  1983 indicated that  hydropower project at Bakun was both technically feasible and financially viable, but the supply has to be transmitted to Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia as well.

National Energy Planning study was also undertaken  and looking into Bakun in the context of overall energy policy. The study estimated that the dam would cost about RM 8 billion.

1985 - economic recession resulted in Bakun Dam being relegated aside.

1986 -  the government announced that it intended to proceed with Bakun despite recession.

1986 to 1993 - the period of silence, amidst  protest from indigenous people from the Bakun area and other concerned Malaysian and environmentalist groups.

1993 - The Economic Planning Unit in the Prime Minister’s Department approved the project (July) and subsequently  the cabinet (September).

1993 - Oct 1, it was revealed that  Bakun would be a 2,400MW dam costing about RM12 billion and would flood an area the size of Singapore.

1994 - Sarawak-based Ekran Bhd had won the contract to construct and operate the dam.

Ekran Assigned the preparation of an EIA to Unimas.

1995 - EIA was approved in March 1995. Forest were cleared and the process of resettling  people from the area affected by the dam began. Natives of the bakun area seeks a High Court ruling that the jurisdiction of EIA being under the auspices of the state government was unlawful. But a Court of Appeal decision overruled a stop-work order from the High Court. 

1997- the Asian financial crisis swept through the region and as a result Bakun was shelved.

1998 - The bakun project was put on hold and returned to the minister of Finance Inc.

1999 - the government compensated Ekran of RM900 million because Bakun had been shelved.

2000 - the project was revived on a smaller scale, without the undersea cables.

2003 - the Edge reported that Sarawak Hidro was still a wholly owned subsidiary of MoF and going to be 60 per cent owned by GIIG Capital Sdn Bhd, a company linked to tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al Bukhari. Negotiation was on the way t how much the power generation should be distributed among the main users and the tariff charges.  Sarawak Hidro is approaching EPF, Affin bank, Bank Islam to help with  loans for financing the project.

2010 - dam reservoir ready to keep water and production of electricity within 6 months.

Source: The Edge Malaysia, 0ctober 13, 2003; Berita Harian, October  14, 2010.