The detailed environmental impact assessment (DEIA) report for the proposed coal-powered plant in Sinakut, Lahad Datu has been rejected by the Department of Environment (DOE).

doe pc rosnani ibarahim 190405 DOE director-general Rosnani Ibarahim (right ) said the rejection letter was sent out yesterday to all panel members of a committee set up to study the proposal.

The committee included representatives from the DOE, the Sabah Environmental Protection Department, Tenaga Nasional Bhd and other relevant agencies.

"It is now up for appeal, if the company chooses to," she said when contacted.

State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun, however, gave an assurance that both the state and federal governments will abide with the DOE's decision and not pursue the project further.

azlan "Both our Prime Minister (Najib Abdul Razak) and our Chief Minister (Musa Aman) have made a commitment that the final decision will be based on the EIA report," he said in an SMS reply.

Masidi admitted that he had yet to receive a copy of the rejection letter, but trusts that it is a "professional decision based on facts and findings".

"Existing policy and procedures give (the) option to the proponent of the coal plant project to appeal to the DG to carry out another EIA report.

"It's now really up to the company whether to exercise this option," he said.

The proposed 300-megawatt coal-powered plant has faced sustained public outrage since it was first proposed two years ago.

The plans were abandoned twice before, after protests from locals and the state government. The current proposed plant will be built on Felda Sahabat land, which comes under federal jurisdiction, and will run on coal imported from Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The first proposal was for it to be built in Silam, Lahad Datu in 2007 and two years later in Seguntor, Sandakan.