Saturday, 18 March 2017

SARAWAKIANS DRAWN WITH EXCITEMENT OVER BAKUN TAKE-OVERS ?

SARAWAKIANS DRAWN WITH EXCITEMENT OVER BAKUN TAKE-OVERS?

Sources told Borneo Post that Putrajaya intended to channel the money from the sale of the Bakun Dam back to the state to help finance the RM16.5 billion Pan-Borneo project.

It showed that the long delayed high-way for Sabah and Sarawak had not been given a serious attention or urgency by the federal government by virtue of its unprepareness on funding allocation to complete the much needed highway project which had been long overdue since and over the last half a century.

While Sarawak state sources said that the deal on the takeover is a delicate one. At the same time Sarawak state should also not be led into assuming all the liabialities, not without the contingent ones that is deemed assumed with it, such as the funding for the Pan Borneo Highway to be construed as federal government's discharging of its entire obligation on the Pan Borneo Highway project.

What it simply means is that by giving back Bakun to Sarawak State government, the Federal government is deem to have fully met its duty to complete the PAN Borneo highway - 'lock stock and barrel" including the assumption of credit and blame that belie it to the state government. knowing very much the attitude and integrity of the federal government towards Sabah and Sarawak under Najib's Administrstion.

It was previously reported that the Bakun Dam cost RM7.5 billion and was officially connected to the state’s power grid on Oct 6, 2011.

Therefore, Bakun under the federal government had earned and pocket considerable sum of income or return from Nakun project, albeit marginal, out of Sarawak electricity users and the same should not be regarded or be construed entirely as fullfillment in the context or precinct of MA63, of the fed gov's obligation to Sarawakian.

Last year, Bernama reported that water royalty from the dam had contributed more than RM100 million in revenue to Sarawak’s coffers, enabling the state government to reduce the electricity tariff. Again, the water royalty is entirely a separate matter by itself and it is the exclusive rights of the rakyat of Sarawak and not deem a gift from the federal to the state.

Such above mentioned rights cannot be used to justify or counter-weighing the value foregone over the rights of Sarawakian on fair and equitable use or distribution of free natural gas, particularly those siphoned from Sarawak gas field,  that the federal gov's have enjoyed to spend singly in west Malaysia over the period of some 19 years that amount to RM236.30 billion which was capable of contributing to the transformation of the economy of states in Malaysia other than Sarawak, including the creation of multi billionair tycoon in the IPP industry, non-existent of that kind in Sarawak.

In dealing with the integrity-mired federal government, particularly under the present leadership, Sarawak state government may not just brush aside or ignore the possibility of 'ghaib' agenda infused or embeded, amidst all the excitement drawn, under the complexity of such take-over.







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