TAMBATUAN DAM IS CANCELLED?

THE IRRIGATION dam in Tambatuan as mentioned by the Kota Belud Member of Parliament Datuk Abdul Rahman Dalan may face cancellation if the objection by the villagers is to be taken up by the government. He also said the affected villagers’ objection may have being aggravated and intensified by the opposition parties.

The KK MP Hiew King Cheu anyhow does not agree with Rahman Dalan that the proposed development of the irrigation dam in Tambatuan has got something to do with the opposition parties.

In fact the Pakatan Rakyat parties PKR, PAS and DAP had just carried out their responsibility as a responsible political party filled with readiness to assist, to protect and to serve the people in trouble, and the Kg Tambatuan in Kota Belud is a good example.

The DAP National advisor Lim Kit Siang had made many trips to Tambatuan and KB in the past many months, and even had spent a night in the Kampong just to understand the feeling of the people.

The dam project may look useful but definitely it is unnecessary. There is plenty of water in the river and stream to flood and to provide irrigation for all the rice fields in KB for many years to come. What we need is the installation of some effective pump houses, pipelines, and irrigation cannels.

The target on developing Kota Belud into the 'rice bowl' of Sabah is not difficult to achieve, and we can achieve that without the dam. One way to improve the rice production is to open up more new rice field for planting. There are plenty of good cultivable flat lands in KB, why not put the money for the construction of the dam to open up and prepare all these lands for the people?

KK MP Hiew said now looks likely the dam would not be built as announced by the KB MP Rahman Dalan, and Hiew wishes to know whether Dalan would still wants to proceed with the debate on the dam with Lim Kit Siang.

Since this was initiated and proposed by him to challenge Lim to a debate on the dam, and the later had happily accepted and made preparation for the debate, now it is only right that Dalan to announce that the debate is no longer needed due to the dam would not be built eventually.

KK MP Hiew said the Pakatan Rakyat will continue to work hard with the kampong folks here, and provide assistance. Kota Belud is really in need of the help from Pakatan Rakyat. Hiew said he had covered most of the KB villages, and he knows the people here are really in need of attention and help.