Build more gas power plants as soon as possible

"If the government had listened to the people and abandoned the coal plant idea earlier, then everybody would have been saved a lot of time, money, energy and anxiety. The people of Sabah now expect and demand that the BN Government builds a 300MW natural gas power plant in the East Coast of Sabah without further delay. This can be done by building a gas pipeline from Kimanis to Sandakan or Tawau. A 300 MW gas power plant costs RM 1.2 billion, much less than the RM1.7 billion, 300MW coal-fired power plant, is cleaner, cheaper and faster to build. As a comparison, the 500 km Sabah Sarawak Gas Pipeline costs RM 1.6 billion. A gas pipeline from Kimanis to either Sandakan or Tawau, whichever is more viable, will cost much, much less.

"But if the government refuses to build a pipeline from Kimanis to Sandakan or Tawau, it should build two or more gas power plants, of 300MW or bigger capacity, at Kimanis. The electricity generated can be transmitted to the East Coast via the 275 Kilovolt East-West Interconnection Project linking the West Coast Grid to the East Coast Grid that was completed in 2007. This is sensible because that was the reason why the government spent hundreds of millions to build that East-West Interconnection Project in the first place.

"SAPP calls on the BN State and federal leaders to really look after the interests of Sabah in the remainder of their term of office instead of worrying only about their jobs, perks and other benefits. They must realize that their follies have caused much losses to the Sabah economy. For instance, in April last year (2009), the then Minister of Industrial Development, Datuk Ewon Ebin and Minister of Resources and IT, Datuk Dr. Yee Moh Chai, practically became accomplices in the economic sabotage of Sabah when they happily launched the factory that produces the pipes used to take our gas to Bintulu. Datuk Yee was ignorant that Sabah Energy Corporation, a State agency under his ministry, could have made good use of the gas for Sabah’s benefits.

"Further, earlier this year, Sabah lost a RM 5.3 billion solar panel investment by Sun Bear Solar, an American company that could have created 1082 jobs in Sabah. The investment needed 42 million cubic feet of natural gas for its electric power. But the investment was aborted because the gas is now going to Bintulu. Isn’t this a direct loss to Sabah?

"Another folly, the current Minister of Industrial Development Datuk Raymond Tan said that Petronas would only agree to let Sabah keep a portion of our natural gas if Sabah has its infrastructure and manpower to support the oil and gas industry. I had never imagined that a Sabah Minister can make such foolish statement. How can Sabah build up its oil and gas industry when our gas is piped away to Bintulu? No wonder the Petronas big wigs think our Sabah leaders are fools!

"Raymond also announced a 4000-acre oil and gas park in Sipitang to be “kick-started as soon as possible”. This is 16 times the size of the Kimanis site. Where is the manpower and infrastructure that Petronas has imposed as a precondition for Sabah to keep our own gas? Where is the gas going to come from? Everybody knows that Petronas will pipe the maximum volume of gas through the RM 1.6 billion Sabah Sarawak Gas Pipeline to its Liquefied Natural gas (LNG) plant in Bintulu. That capacity of that LNG plant is 25 mtpa (million tons per annum), the single biggest such plant in the world. It is undergoing expansion. Other than Japan, it has contracted a new buyer of LNG, China, last October, giving Petronas billions in profits from this investment.

"As for the oil and gas to be pumped from oil blocks L and M, the gas is going to Miri, not Sipitang. Sarawak is way ahead of Sabah on tapping the oil and gas from Blocks L and M, which Malaysia had mysteriously surrendered to Brunei last year. Without oil and gas, the 4000 acres in Sipitang is more like a mega real estate project that will quickly use up more State funds, the RM 544 million bond and loans by Sabah Development Bank, benefiting a few people.

"At the federal level, the only minister who has shown concern, Tan Sri Bernard Dompok, had fallen victim to the sweet promises of the then Prime Minister (Dato Seri Abdullah Badawi). Tan Sri Bernard repeatedly said Tun Abdullah had guaranteed that only surplus gas will be piped to Bintulu. It is a folly to believe Tun Abdullah Badawi. Tun Abdullah had chosen the 23rd PBS Congress in November 2008 to refute the UPKO President’s (Tan Sri Bernard’s) call for the scrapping of the gas pipeline. This is classic divide and rule used against Sabah’s interests. It was with very good reason that SAPP had declared no confidence in him.

"Similarly, with the latest squabbling over seats allocation and economic benefits in the BN coalition, what is going to happen is that the various Sabah BN component and UMNO leaders will rush to KL to lobby and seek favours. This intensifies the divide and rule of Sabah by their political masters in Putrajaya. This is the subservience of Sabah leaders to their political masters that is detrimental to Sabah’s interests such as the loss of our oil and gas while our leaders squabble with each other ...more

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! Apr 21, 2010 - Sabah, a dumping ground for dirty coal Dec 15, 2009 - Chua: Q&A on power plants at parliament Dec 15, 2009 - Commitment an irony, claims SAPP Dec 01, 2009 - Chua: Terms of reference on EIA Nov 29, 2009 - Groups express concern over report on coal-fired plant Nov, 27, 2009 - How important is Bakun power to Peninsular Malaysia? Nov 25, 2009 - BN flip flops again! 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? State's sovereign rights on oil .... Jul 01, 2010: Questions on Blocks L & M not fully answered Jun 25, 2010: Murky oil blocks deal could cost Sabah billions of ringgit Jun 11, 2010: Is Maritime District 14 a Malaysian maritime territory? Jun 07, 2010: Edward: People deserve to know what happened May 12, 2010: Dullie to Mojigoh: Who are you helping? May 12, 2010: Be honest about oil blocks, Kitingan tells govt May 10, 2010: SAPP: The fact speaks for itself May 05, 2010: SAPP news in FreeMalaysiaToday May 05, 2010: Malaysians only found out via NYSE: Yong May 04, 2010: Sabah rights and interests have been sacrificed May 04, 2010: Oil blocks deal: Huge financial loss to Sabah May 03, 2010: SAPP: Ceding of blocks L and M to Brunei unconstitutional May 02, 2010: Najib: M'sia, Brunei border talks will lead to a win-win solution Apr 30, 2010: Statement by Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on two oil exploration fields Apr 30, 2010: Abdullah says cabinet approved boundary pact with Brunei Apr 30, 2010: Pak Lah gave 'RM320b oil rich areas' to Brunei Apr 29, 2010: Malaysia's generosity by Dr Mahathir Nov 23, 2008: Oil royalty: SAPP not giving up Nov 20, 2008: Oil Royalty Warrants Review Stop the Coal-fired Power Plant in Sandakan.... Destruction of famous tourist attraction sites Sepilok Orang Utan Rehabilitation Centre Kinabatangan Ramsar Site, Sukau Resorts Island Resorts off Sandakan, Selingan Turtle Island...