KUCHING: The Bidayuh leaders must step in and help to solve the issue surrounding the Bengoh Dam resettlement programme, said former Dayak Bidayuh National Association (DBNA) Dato’ Peter Minos.
Minos who is now the Bung Bratak Cultural and Heritage Association believed if the relevant dam agencies give the four villages the right compensations for their abandoned land, houses and other properties the affected villagers would move to the new resettlement site.
He said the government should also provide them with houses and basic facilities and utilities at the new site and also jobs for incomes.
Minos said the Bidayuhs affected pose no problem at all but they only feel worried and unhappy with the compensation and were unsure whether the promises will be fulfilled by the authorities concerned.
“They naturally act as they do but treat the bidayuhs well, talk to them, meet them and reason things out, they can and will be good partners in development, as they do in SALCRA land development,” said Minos.
He pointed out the problem was some people did not really meet and talk with the villagers and just try to impose and dictate that where and when problem arise.
“Once problem crop up, it needs some good meeting and talking. The bidayuh leaders must step in and help out and see how the villagers can meet and talk with the relevant agencies and others,” he added.
The Star recently reported that most of the villagers from the four affected villages has refused to move to the new resettlement, demanding the government to full compensation on their land, houses, fruit trees and other properties.
They also demanded the government to provide them with free houses at the resettlement site if they are forced to move down.
So far the government has only compensated their houses and lands that are filled by the dam’s water, but not their farm lands and their NCR lands.
Thus, the affected 359 villages demanded the government to pay everything to them before they move out to the resettlement area in Kampung Semadang.
Constructiuon works on the RM310 million Bengoh Dam project began in August 2007 and is set to be fully completed in December this year despite a slight delay.
Coordinator for the Bengoh Dam Resettlement Committee, Pemanca Austin Dimin had told The Star there are few unsettled matters which need to be addressed.
He said it was true that the affected people wanted all their land to be compensated including those land which are not filled with the dam’s water.
He said a total of 1,600 people from the four villages – Kampung Taba Sait, Kampung Rejoi, Kampung Bojong and Kampung Semban were affected by the project.
There are 155 families who are now squatting in their parent’s house and had demanded the government give them a free house at the resettlement area if they need to move there.
Dimin said 204 units of houses costing RM48,000 each unit will be built at the resettlement to be purchased by the resettlers.
He said the government is now looking into the social aspect of the affected residents as there was no social aspect studies conducted prior to the implementation of the project.
The production of raw water from the Bengoh Dam is anticipated to meet the increasing demand of the city and greater Kuching and Samarahan area until 2030.
Once completed, the dam would store about 144.1 million cubic metres of water, hence increasing the daily raw water production at the Batu Kitang treatment plant from 786 to 2047 mega litres per day (MLD).
Presently the reservoir at Batu Kitang, which provides most of the domestic and industrial water supply in Kuching, only has a capacity of 786 MLD while the current demand for water in Kuching alone is 635 MLD.
The concern now was to complete the resettlement programme involving 359 families affected by the project.
The building of roads that link Kampung Semadang and the resettlement area began early this year, and is about 70 percent completed.
