DAP's sole representative in the Sarawak legislative assembly has called on the state government to scrap the proposed RM7.6 billion aluminium smelter plant in Bintulu.

Kidurong DAP state assemblyperson Chiew Chin Sing, debating the Supply Bill 2003 in the assembly this week, cited as reason against the project implementation, the hazards to human health and environment from the emissions of some of the gases, effluent discharge and solid waste from the smelter.

Another reason is that the government may have to subsidise heavily the plant operation through a lower electricity tariff, he said.

Chiew was referring to the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Gulf International Investment Group and the Dubai Aluminium Company Ltd for undertaking the smelter plant to be sited in Similajau, Bintulu.

According to the official announcement, the proposed plant will have an initial production capacity of 250,000 tonnes of aluminium ingot and a phase 2 plan in years thereafter to double production capacity that will use up about 900 megawatts of the 2400 megawatts of electricity from the Bakun dam.

"I cannot see the logic in undertaking this kind of project where we would build a dam to supply cheap electricity, much cheaper than what we would pay for our home and industrial use," he said.

No raw materials

He added that it does not seem to make much sense also for outsiders to want to come to Sarawak to build a smelter plant "when we do not even have the raw materials", apart from other reasons.

If allowed to proceed, the plant will make aluminium ingots and sell to other parts of the world while leaving the toxic gas, polluting and endangering the environment and people's health.

This in turn would stress the eco-system at the Bakun dam and also be a constant threat to the people living downstream of the Rajang River, he added.

"It is difficult for anyone to imagine that on a small state like Sarawak, we would want to build a giant plant like the alumnium smelter which is usually built in big countries like Canada, Australia, Brazil, Russia and China where there is so much more land," Chiew pointed out.

The DAP representative added: "I do understand that our country needs foreign investment. But weighing the benefits which the smelter will bring against the costs, especially the opportunity costs which we have to bear, there is no need to build the aluminium smelter, nor the Bakun dam."