DAP Sabah is amazed at MP Kota Belud Abdul Rahman Dahlan’s persistent determination to implement the controversial Tambatuon dam when he has made no visit to his voters since he won his seat. No consultation was made nor any dialogue was conducted prior to announcement of the dam project.

I find MP Dahlan’s statement inconsistent.

Firstly, Dahlan claimed that the project only costs RM500 million but according to our findings, it costs RM250 million for the tunnel alone and additional RM450 million for the dam, thus the actual project cost of Tambatuon dam is at a staggering RM700 million!

Secondly, Dahlan claimed that the dam project only affects 550 villagers. At Kampong Tambatuon alone has more than 800 inhabitants, the actual number of villagers affected could easily come up to 3,000 to 3,500 villagers together with three villages surrounding Kampong Tambatuon.

According to the villagers, the dam would completely flood the entire Kampong Tambatuon and force uprooting of the other three villages. That explained a lot why Ketua Kampong Singkui Tinggi was sacked when he protested against the dam.

Thirdly, Dahlan claimed that in order to transform Kota Belud into the nation’s newest rice bowl, there has to be new and adequate sources of water supply to irrigate those 25,000 acres of land.

However, according to the padi farmers and environmental experts, there has never been any lack of water. The problem they face is actually an absence of proper irrigation systems to channel the water to and from the padi fields. Proper irrigation can certainly be done without a dam.

It was obvious that Rahman has not been accurately informed of the actual situation and the agony of 3,000 villagers was not felt with empathy. Simply is because the MP has not visited his people and met them face to face to discuss about the dam prior to the decision’s announcement.

However, it is never too late to meet your people before the parliament resumes on June 13 or all your argument and debates will be of no meaning, because we do not know whether the YB is representing the voice of his voters or betraying their interests.

After all, MP Dahlan would not be debating in Parliament on Tambatuon Dam if Tambatuon voters had not given him the mandate.

It will be an honour for me to arrange a dialogue meeting in Kampong Tambatuon together with all other villagers from the affected villages with Rahman Dahlan. After all, who would know better than the villagers and the padi farmers.

But the question is, is Dahlan ready to meet his voters?

Junz Wong is DAP Sabah state assistant secretary.