SAM opposes aluminium plant in Sarawak

comments     Yap Mun Ching     Published     Updated

The Sarawak government's plan to allow the setting up an aluminium smelting plant to utilise expected energy surplus from the Bakun dam project is likely to cause additional ecological pollution to the area and health problems for nearby residents, said an environmental rights group today.

Friends of the Earth (SAM) said in a statement released from its Baram office today that it had received news that the Sarawak state government is "seriously considering" the bid of a Dubai-based company to set up an aluminium smelting plant to take advantage of cheap hydro-electric power from Bakun.

SAM president S M Mohamed Idris said the smelting plant is an attempt by the government to allocate for expected energy surplus resulting from the dam once it starts operations, scheduled in 2006.

Mohamed said based on data from the Eight Malaysia Plan 2001-2005, the energy reserve margin of East Malaysia may shoot up to between 137 and 175 percent although a comfortable reserve margin should be in the region of 30 percent or less.

For the rest of this story and more, subscribe for only RM150 a year. If you're already a subscriber, please sign in.

Sign in Subscribe now


Malaysiakini
news and views that matter


Sign In