Sarawak Energy Bhd (SEB) has dismissed a planned protest by rights groups against the firm's "greenwashing" of mega dam projects in Sarawak, as a bid to discredit the state government.

It said the the demonstration planned at the SEB-sponsored 'Energy for Tomorrow' tonight is a "cheap stunt" with ulterior motives.

"The same NGOs have been protesting and manipulating information with the intention of gaining international sympathy and support.

"But, their actions do not represent the sentiment of the majority of the people in the state who wants development and progress," an SEB spokesperson said.

She added that the NGOs have an "agenda of their own" and have "never contributed to the positive development of the people".

"Sarawak Energy is always open to constructive and truthful dialogue and there is nothing to be gained by this kind of cheap stunt,” she told Malaysiakini via email.

She stressed that the company had always been very careful and sensitive to the needs of the local communities and operates at the highest level of integrity.

"Sarawak Energy's proposed and current projects adhere to the laws of Sarawak and are guided by international practices, such as the Equator Principles, IHA guidelines and UNDRIP," she added.

Several human rights and environmental groups are planning to stage a peaceful protest at the conference at the Etiqa Twins building in Kuala Lumpur at 8pm tonight.

The NGOs include Suaram, Save Rivers Network and Jaringan Orang Asal Se-Malaysia (JOAS).

The conference, organised by International New York Times, will be held for three days and it will kickstart with a dinner at Grand Hyatt Hotel, opposite the protest venue.

Announcing the protest at a press conference today, Save Rivers Network chairperson Peter Kallang ( left ) said they will mobilise Sarawakians in Klang Valley to join the protest.

"This venue and action were selected because we wanted to grab the attention of the people, the speakers and the delegates as they are having a launching dinner at 38th floor of Grand Hyatt Hotel," JOAS project manager Koong Hui Yein said, adding that everyone was welcome to join the protest.

Peter accused SEB of attempting to “greenwash” all the mega dam projects it was planning to build in the interior areas of Sarawak.

However, he said, those projects would deforest the respective areas for the construction work and the native customary rights land of the natives, their home land as well , would be flooded.

“They are trying to greenwash the dams that they are building. They are trying to say this is a renewable energy.

“But as fas as renewable energy is concerned, what is renewable about flooding thousands of acres of land? What is renewable about destroying the forests and the ecosystem?” Peter asked.

He noted that SEB was going to organise another smiliar conference in Kuching, Sarawak, which would be another attempt to build its image internationally.

However, he urged SEB to stop doing so and to go back to Batang Ai and Bakun, where the mega dams were built, to improve the living conditions of the indigenous people affected by the dam projects.

Under the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE), the Sarawak state government is planning to construct 12 mega dams. SEB, which is a state government-linked company, is responsible for the Murum dam and the planned Baram dam.

However, the dam projects are facing objections from the environmental groups and the local indigenous people who will be forced to relocate as their homelands would be flooded.

Malaysiakini has contacted SEB for its comments and is waiting for its response to these issues.

Speakers and delegates must raise this issue

Suaram coordinator Serene Lim said the participants of the conference should express great concern over the situation faced by the indigenous people suffering as a result of the dam projects, by raising this issue at the conference.

“How can the delegates and the participants of this conference be serious about sustainable energy and yet allow such great disregard for the Baram and Murum dams?

“This is clearly not a sustainable way of powering the energy that the world needs tomorrow,” Lim said.

Meanwhile, Baram Protection Action Committee (BPAC) chairperson Philip Jau ( left ) said very poor compensation was provided by the state government and SEB to the indigenous people who were forced to relocate.

Citing Murum dam as an example, Philip said the Sarawak government is providing every family RM850 amonth for the first three years and RM600 for the fourth and fifth years. After this, there will be no more financial assistance.

“How can the people of Murum survive with this little amount? After the fifth year, there is no more compensation.

“But the government is telling the world that this is the best for the people of Murum. This is a pure lie,” he said.

Philip also said this was the reason why the indigenous people in Baram had decided to set up blockades over the past year in their efforts to stop the Baram dam project.

“That is why we, the people of Baram, take a very strong stand to protect and preserve our land, our forest and everything else. We demand that the government stops this destructive Baram dam project.

“We all know very well that we will lose everything and we will never get our homeland back again. Once the land is flooded, it will be gone forever,” Philip said, adding that the land means everything to the indigenous people.

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