Free Malaysia Today — SAT, 05 JUN 2010 12:08
By Charles Rudai
KOTA KINABALU: The federal government was today urged to heed public outcry over the controversial coal-powered plant to be built in Lahad Datu, considered an ecological basin.
Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar sent Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak this open plea “to listen to the people” in conjunction with World Environment Day today.
The proposed 300MW coal-powered energy plant met strong criticism in the Sabah State Legislative Assembly, among environmentalists and the local community due to its potential impact on marine life and the surrounding ecology.
Both Tenaga Nasional Bhd and its subsidiary Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd have maintained that alternative energy resources were too expensive to be exploited and will not be able to provide enough energy.
But this view has been strongly disputed by influential leaders such as MP Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh and former chief minister Harris Salleh, who said it is possible to introduce green technology in Sabah in view of the state’s abundant mineral and natural resources.
Said Nurul Izzah: “I hope the federal government will listen to the public and abandon its plans to build the plant.
“The government should tap into the potential and availability of alternative resources for renewable energy in Sabah, such as biomass energy to reduce the state’s dependency on non-renewable resources such as coal that is hazardous to the environment and people,” she said.
Nurul Izzah also reminded the government of its commitment to protect the environment under the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and the Convention on Climate Change.
“By continuing with the plant, the government will be making gross violations of its own commitment under all these conventions.
“I hope the government, stakeholders and people will continue to strive to save our environment while we still can, “ she said.
