Sabah assembly: Coal-fired plant against green policy

Kota Kinabalu, Nov 16, 2009: A bid for an emergency motion to enable the House to debate a proposed 300mW coal-fired power plant at Tungku in the east coast Lahad Datu district was rejected by Speaker Datuk Juhar Mahiruddin.

The emergency motion was tabled by Melanie Chia Chui Ket (SAPP-Luyang) who said that the coal-fired plant was not in line with the Government's emphasis on green energy.

"Developed nations are abandoning coal-fired plants. Why are we in Sabah taking something that has been abandoned," she said.

Melanie said the idea of a coal-fired plant was unpopular and it had been relocated twice, from Silam in Lahad Datu initially and then from Seguntor in Sandakan before being fixed at Tungku.

"The people of Lahad Datu and Seguntor had rejected the coal-fired plant and now the majority of Sabahans do not want it as well," she added.

At this juncture Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman stood up and asked Melanie to substantiate her claim that a majority of the people were rejecting the coal-fired plant.

"Please do not mislead the House," he added.

Datuk Suhaili Said (BN-Tungku) then stood up and told the House that as far as he knew, his constituents had no issues about the coal-fired plant being located in their area.

By RUBEN SARIO

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MOHON MERUJUK PERATURAN TETAP 23 (1)
TAJUK: MEMBATALKAN RANCANGAN MEMBINA LOJI JANAKUASA ARANG BATU DI SABAH

Saya, Melanie Chia Chui Ket, Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Sabah Kawasan N16 Luyang, ingin mohon merujuk Peraturan Tetap 23 (1) untuk membincangkan perkara bersabit dengan "MEMBATALKAN RANCANGAN MEMBINA LOJI JANAKUASA ARANG BATU DI SABAH"
Isu ini penting kerana pembinaan loji janakuasa arang batu di Kg. Sinakut, FELDA Sahabat, dekat Lahad Datu, seperti yang diumumkan Perdana Menteri YAB Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak pada September 2009 bakal membawa impak negatif kepada alam sekitar dan biodiversiti serta ekosistem di negeri ini selain membahayakan kesihatan rakyat terutamanya mereka yang tinggal di kawasan berdekatan.

Perdana Menteri pada Oktober 2009 telah mengumumkan bahawa Kerajaan Malaysia memberi keutamaan terhadap pembangunan Tenaga Hijau.

Sebagai salah satu inisiatif perkara itu, Perdana Menteri sendiri mengetuai Majlis Teknologi Hijau Negara yang akan melaksanakan Dasar Teknologi Hijau Negara.

Perdana Menteri sebagai pelopor Teknologi Hijau diperingkat antarabangsa dan kebangsaan didapati tidak selari apabila merancang membina loji janakuasa arangbatu di Lahad Datu.

Negara-negara maju telah menggantikan loji janakuasa arang batu tetapi kenapa kita di Sabah Malaysia harus mengikut jejak yang telah ditinggalkan! Teknologi bakal digunakan itu adalah tidak konsisten dengan dasar kerajaan yang mempromosi teknologi hijau serta mesra alam.

Mengapa setelah ditolak untuk dibina di Silam, Lahad Datu oleh Ketua Menteri Dato' Seri Musa Aman pada April 2008 dan seterusnya ditolak apabila ingin dibina di Seguntor, Sandakan, tetapi diluluskan apabila dipindahkan semula di Lahad Datu di kawasan Kg. Sinakut, FELDA Sahabat.

Rakyat di Silam, Lahad Datu dan Seguntor, Sandakan telah menolak loji janakuasa arang batu itu dan kini majoriti rakyat Sabah juga turut serta menolak loji itu.

Slogan 1Malaysia: Rakyat Didahulukan, Pencapaian Diutamakan seolah-olah telah berubah kepada Rakyat Dikemudiankan, Projek Diutamakan.

Adalah menjadi harapan agar suara rakyat melalui Dewan yang mulia ini dapat dibawa keperhatian Kerajaan Persekutuan supaya
keputusan tegas untuk membatalkan projek itu dapat dibuat dengan segera.

Justeru itu, perkara ini adalah kepentingan awam, spesifik dan perlu disegerakan untuk dibincangkan dalam persidangan Dewan yang mulia ini.
Saya mohon pertimbangan Yang Berhormat Speaker.

Sekian dan terima kasih.

SAPP is against dirty coal ...more Coal's Assault on Human Health Coal pollutants affect all major body organ systems and contribute to four of the five leading causes of mortality in the U.S.: heart disease, cancer, stroke, and chronic lower respiratory diseases. This conclusion emerges from our reassessment of the widely recognized health threats from coal. Each step of the coal lifecycle-mining, transportation, washing, combustion, and disposing of post combustion wastes-impacts human health. Coal combustion in particular contributes to diseases affecting large portions of the U.S. population, including asthma, lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke, compounding the major public health challenges of our time. It interferes with lung development, increases the risk of heart attacks, and compromises intellectual capacity. Oxidative stress and inflammation are indicated as possible mechanisms in the exacerbation and development of many of the diseases under review. In addition, the report addresses another, less widely recognized health threat from coal: the contribution of coal combustion to global warming, and the current and predicted health effects of global warming...more Nov 29, 2010 - Malaysia: A Coal Plant in paradise Nov 27, 2010 - Coal plant a revenue killer, say NGOs Oct 05, 2010 - SAPP akan batalkan loji janakuasa arangbatu Aug 26, 2010 - Are nepotism and corruption behind the Sabah coal plant? Aug 21, 2010 - Build more gas power plants as soon as possible Aug 19, 2010 - Coal plant DEIA rejected Aug 18, 2010 - SAPP vows to scrap controversial dams and coal plant proposals Jul 29, 2010 - EIA report on controversial coal plant flawed Jul 27, 2010 - Sabah coal-fired plant 'far from eco-friendly' Jul 23, 2010 - British environmentalist leads fight against Sabah coal plant Jul 17, 2010 - Hundreds gather at site for proposed coal-plant Jul 17, 2010 - MP calls govt's bluff over coal power Jul 16, 2010 - Chua urges protection of biodiversity in Sabah Jul 06, 2010 - Green Surf wants coal plant scrapped Jun 15, 2010 - Parliament to debate Sabah's coal power May 18, 2010 - Sabah says No to coal! 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Nov 18, 2009 - Melanie engages in verbal spat over coal plant Nov 17, 2009 - Sabah's Objection to the building of Coal Power Plant Nov 16, 2009 - Sabah assembly: Coal-fired plant against green policy Nov 15, 2009 - SAPP: Coal plant idea not supported by public Nov 13, 2009 - China eyes closing coal-fired power plants in capital Nov 13, 2009 - Dirty Coal Power Nov 9, 2009 - SAPP: Coal power plant at Tungku tainted with power abuse Nov 9, 2009 - China eyes closing coal-fired power plants in capital Oct 27, 2009 - Power from West-East Coast Grid only by end 2013 Oct 21, 2009 - Ulterior motive on the coal fired power plant Oct 19, 2009 - Power entity should be under state gov't Sep 13, 2009 - Chua: Extend National Energy Commission to Sabah Aug 19, 2009 - People's cries falling on deaf ears Aug 16, 2009 - Stop holding the people to ransom over power supply problem Aug 12, 2009 - Enough! Stop Power Disruptions in Tawau Jul 30, 2009 - National Green Technology Policy the way forward for renewable energy Jun 24, 2009 - Birth defects in China's Shanxi show human price of coal Jun 23, 2009 - SAPP to Raymond: Don't insult Sandakan folks Jun 17, 2009 - WWF opposes coal plant wherever sited in Sabah May 30, 2009 - SAPP Yes to gas-powered but No to coal-fired plant May 26, 2009 - Sabah discriminated by BN government May 18, 2009 - Sapp says no to coal-fired plant again Apr 30, 2009 - Supply Sarawak power to Sabah and not Indonesia or Brunei Feb 19, 2009 - SAPP welcomes assurance, calls for gas-powered plant for Sandakan Feb 18, 2009 - SAPP to continue its campaign against coal plant Feb 17, 2009 - Tennessee Coal spill and destruction Feb 16, 2009 - SAPP's objection of coal-fired plants in Sabah Feb 15, 2009 - Yong shows up at anti-coal protest Dec 24, 2008 - Alternative Power Plants Dec 24, 2008 - Economic reasons over Health and Environmental concerns Nov 13, 2008 - Scrap coal-fired plant in Sekong Oct 07, 2008 - Don't force the coal plant on Sandakan Nov 06, 2000 - Tenaga eyeing renewable energy - Blowing Hot Air or Talking Bull? 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