Save Sabah!

Kota Kinabalu: Five non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are combining forces in Sabah in an unprecedented move to oppose dirty energy such as coal-fired power plants.

The Sabah Unite to Re-Power the Future or Green Surf coalition consists of the Land Empowerment Animals and People (Leap), Partners of Community Organisations (Pacos Trust), Sabah Environmental Protection Association (Sepa), the Malaysian Nature Society Sabah branch and Sabah office of WWF-Malaysia.

These bodies, which all have differing ideas and objectives, believe this union would push for the achievement of one universal goal – to find and present positive solutions to the current energy situation in the State.

At a joint press conference to announce the alliance at Tanjung Aru beach here, Saturday, founder and director of Leap, Cynthia Ong, said the unification was a result of the public approaching the respective organisations and wanting something concrete done on environmental issues, the proposed coal-fired power plant in Lahad Datu being the flavour of the week.

“With Sabah putting itself forward as a leader in conservation in the region, we really feel that such an event (setting up of coal-fired power plant) would undermine all the efforts of our organisations.

“This is why we have to step up. And also the public has approached our respective organisations, so we’re answering that call.

“This is not anti-government but we are supporting the Government in looking for new solutions and using the might of our organisations to support (the solutions),” she said.

“We are not just saying ‘no coal or anti-coal’ but will find alternative energy solutions for the State and present them to our leadership and public.

“But the main thing is of course is to change the course of direction towards the future of energy, which we feel should be renewable É we’re actually pro-active about (finding) solutions,” she said, pointing out there are many unexplored solutions.

Sepa President Wong Tack said the coalition was a good start towards better conservation efforts, adding they need the public to back them if they were really to hit the ground running.

“I’m sure this platform will expand and closer working relationships would be established.

“This is a very positive start for a greener Sabah and we hope citizens of Sabah will come together. The Prime Minister always emphasises about wanting to listen to the people, so the people must exercise the right so the authorities can hear us.“

Chief Technical Officer of WWF-Malaysia’s Sabah Office, Rahimatsah Amat, urged the public to rally behind the coalition on the energy issue and other urgent environmental issues.

“We do not have a very specific agenda but the agenda is specific towards green things, which on our plate at the very moment is the coal-fired power plant.

“But there could be many more pressing issues that need to be addressed so we need the support of the public to show that we’re moving in the right direction for all of us to have a future in Sabah,” he said, adding they will release information on their developments from time to time.

On the coal-fired power plant, he said the effects would not be felt immediately but years down the line, accentuating the urgency to find an alternative solution to the energy source.

Meanwhile, Green Surf is calling on everyone in Sabah to sign a petition to show their concern for climate change with specific emphasis on the planned coal-fired power plant.

A webpage has been set up on social networking site Facebook, which has garnered 1, 000 members within two weeks.

The public could also visit www.nocoalsabah.blogspot.com, which has a link to the Facebook page to find out more about the issue as well as to sign the online petition.

In a statement, Green Surf also urged the Federal Government to consider developing one of the two budgeted green pioneer townships with green technology in Sabah.

“We applaud the Prime Minister for having the foresight of planning these green pioneer townships and we request for East Malaysia to have one and we recommend the government consider one of our East Coast townships such as Sandakan, Lahad Datu or Tawau.”

http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=68550

Sunday, November 01, 2009

Popularity: 6% [?]

600-strong Sandakan environ walk

Kan Yaw Chong

KOTA KINABALU: Six hundred people of diverse backgrounds joined the first ever Sandakan “Walk for the Environment ” themed “Unite Against Climate Change”, Sunday.

Sandakan Municipal Council President, Dr James Wong, flagged off and joined the 4km walk which started at the Town Padang and went through the town centre leading to the coastal Sim Sim Road, back to the town centre and ended at the Town Padang.

Leading the pack included former Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly Datuk Seri Panglima Hassan Alban Sandukong, his wheel chaired wife Datin Nuri and a slew of NGO and community leaders, including Au Kam Wah, State Assemblyman for Elopura, and Chong Hon Min, former Independent Member of Parliament for Sandakan.

“This is a historic event”‘ said Charles Chow, Chairman of the Sandakan Pro-Tem Committee which organized the event.

He noted the “obvious unity” of all races and strata of society against climate change and thanked the police, the Council President, his committee members and the public for their support.

SEPA (Sabah Environment Protection Association) President, Wong Tack, said the extraordinary spirit of the Sandakan community to protect the future of their children and to ensure Sabah always remains green is worth emulating.

Charles, meanwhile, attributed the zestful turnout to concern and awareness as a result of wide coverage in the local dailies, FM Sandakan, distribution of flyers and by word of mouth.

Charles had earlier said relevance of the walk, citing how every Malaysian as well as foreign visitor ranging from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu and Sandakan have complained about the sweltering heat waves of late.

“Recent records and observation has shown carbon dioxide buildup to 450 parts per million (ppmV) globally while a study on surface temperatures in major towns across Malaysia carried out by professors at UKM had registered an alarming increase by 3.5 degrees Celsius,” Charles citied.

“This reflects abnormal variations to the expected climate within the earth’s atmosphere,” he said.  “I was in Kuala Lumpur recently and my watch with a temperature meter recorded 36 degrees Celsius while normal maximum in the past was about 33 degrees,” be said.

“There is much economic advantage to stimulate investment for the mitigation of local greenhouse gas emissions,” Charles suggested.

“We should therefore seriously look into these mitigation measures,” he added, citing the need to change everyday lifestyle, behavior, the adoption of energy efficient technologies, government rewards and incentives to industries for green initiatives, reduction of greenhouse emissions to raise air quality and health, investment in future energy capital with the environment in mind and strong emphasis on green technology, energy efficient buildings and encourage agricultural practices that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stress the protection of Sabah’s rainforests as a powerful mitigation factor,” he said.

He said it was “essential” to raise awareness on emission reduction at all levels of society.  “This is what the SEPA Sandakan effort is all about,” he pointed out, citing how the florescent bulb use 65 per cent less energy than filament bulb and a host of other potential actions that will make the difference, according to him.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Ever wonder why are we, Sandakan citizen fighting so hard against the Coal Fired Power Plant? Take some time to read the Powerpoint slides/presentation to understand further.

Also, the Coal Fired Power Plant can be replaced with other alternatives eg: Solar and Wind Energy instead of coal that can destroy the nature of Sandakan!

Click MORE to continue reading

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 4% [?]

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Popularity: 9% [?]

TNB/ SESB/ Lahad Datu Energy Sdn Bhd – PROVE to us that YOU CARE!!

Guess who is the top brass behind Lahad Datu Energy Sdn Bhd, the Company which is still stubbornly persisting to build the highly unpopular coal power plant in Sandakan — which has already been REJECTED on health and safety grounds in Lahad Datu?

Based on a company search done recently, as at  4 feb 2009, the Shareholders and Directors of Lahad Datu Energy Sdn Bhd are:

1. Dato’ Che Khalib Mohamad Noh
   - who happens to be the current President & CEO of Tenaga Nasional Berhad, the parent company of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd, as well as a Director of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd itself.
   
2. Dato’ Abdul Razak bin Abdul Majid
   - who happens to be the current Senior Vice President (Corp Affairs) of also Tenaga Nasional Berhad.

So, we wonder whether this explains why the TNB top management (including the 2 of them above) seems to be SOOO stubborn and adamant in its plans to build this coal power plant, in Sandakan if not Lahad Datu — despite the fierce objections from over 30,000 residents of Sandakan, and despite the ample avenues to explore other alternative options to increase the supply of electricity to the East Coast of Sabah?

And, we suppose TNB can no longer completely distance themselves from this coal power plant project or to call it an ‘Independent’ Power Plant in any way.

Would it be too far fetch to say that Tenaga Nasional Berhad = Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd = Lahad Datu Energy Sdn Bhd = lovers of coal who are too rich and powerful and deaf to the voices of the Sandakan people?

The Managing Director of Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd, Ir. Baharin bin Din says:

"Our responsibility is to serve more than 300,000 customers throughout the state and we will continuously improve our services to meet your needs and expectations. We aim to earn your trust – through integrity in conduct and excellence in performance to deliver reliable electricity to your homes and premises.

In order to convey our desire and commitment to you, we will uphold our tagline – SESB Working Harder For Better Power. We will continue our endless effort to serve our valued customers because WE CARE!"

(By the way, note that capital letters ‘WE CARE’ and the exclamation mark ‘!’ at the end there are the ORIGINAL, not added/edited by the author of this post. Hmm… sounds like SESB is really PASSIONATE about CARING for Sabahans!)

Well, it’s time for you to PROVE that you ‘CARE’ by listening to over 30,000 of your customers residing in Sandakan! And it’s time for you to start "Working HARDER For Better Power" by looking for other clean and healthy alternatives such as hydro from Bakun Dam and natural gas, and CALL OFF THE COAL POWER PLANT PROPOSAL!!

Forcing the COAL power plant down our throats is NOT called ‘working HARDER’, and it’s definitely not ‘CARE’. To insist that Sabahans must accept coal looks more like you are ‘working harder’ for and ‘care’ about your own corporate profits only.

You have recently taken over the Bakun Dam project in Sarawak, which is expected to be ready in October 2011.

Furthermore, there will be SOOO MUCH hydro power to be generated in Bakun, Sarawak, that there is even a plan to construct *** 676 kilometres *** of ***submarine cables across the South China Sea*** to transmit power from the Bakun hydro project ALL THE WAY to Peninsular Malaysia!

I’m sure you know that the distance between Miri, Sarawak, to Sandakan, Sabah is only 485 km, and between Sibu, Sarawak to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah is only 624 km, LESS THAN your SUBMARINE cable across the South China Sea!! So, all you need to do if you really CARE about Sabah’s environment and the health of her people is to construct a grid ON LAND to connect Bakun and Sabah — shorter than 676 km and no need to go UNDER-SEA!! Surely, it will cost you MUCH LESS than the submarine cable across the South China Sea!!

Besides, there is also plan to sell the electricity power produced at Bakun to Brunei and Kalimantan, Indonesia, instead of selling this clean and healthy energy to Sabahans (which is part of Malaysia, by the way).

WHAT IS GOING ON ??

Tenaga Nasional Berhad/ Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd/ Lahad Datu Energy Sdn Bhd, TALK IS CHEAP. Stop emitting hot air, start ‘Working HARDER’ to find intelligent and clean solution instead of lazy shortcuts such as coal, and prove that you really ‘CARE’.

The above is written by Anton, a resident of Sandakan WHO REALLY CARES!

Soucres:

• SESB Director’s Message - http://www.sesb.com.my/md_message.cfm
• Bakun Expected To Be Ready October 2011 March 04, 2009 - http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v5/news_lite.php?id=394001
• Talks On Loan For Bakun Submarine Transmission Cables,  April 28, 2008 - http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=329460 

Popularity: 10% [?]