SAPP: Coal power plant at Tungku tainted with power abuse

Kota Kinabalu, Nov 9, 2009: Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) president, Datuk Yong Teck Lee, said the Prime Minister cannot simply force the coal power plant at Tungku.

"How can Prime Minister insist on Felda Tungku for coal power plant even before the EIA study is done?

"The basis given by PM to site the controversial coal power plant at Tungku Felda is because he is Felda Minister. Thus the premature approval to site the coal plant at Tungku is tainted with abuse of power. He assumes that Felda managers and settlers would not dare to object just because the land owner is a federal agency.

"In spite of the intimidating nature of the PM's top down pressures, Felda residents are upset and worried.

"Is the PM aware that some local villagers are affected? Has the State Cabinet agreed finally to the Felda site even before the TNB briefing to Cabinet? The BN leaders must be reminded that it was the BN Sabah CM which first rejected the coal power plant on April 3, 2008, one year before this PM took office.

"The PM's insistence to locate the coal plant at Felda Tungku will not succeed in silencing the objections of the people. Instead, the people will become more incensed at such high handed intimidation.

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SAPP takes issue with PM

2009-11-10 (Daily Express) Kudat: Kuala Lumpur should be more tolerant and not force Sabah people to accept detrimental development projects like the coal-fired power plant.

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President, Datuk Yong Teck Lee said all this while Sabah had to give-and-take with Kuala Lumpur in every matter, especially those involving oils.

"The statement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that he has the authority as the Felda Minister to approve the construction of the coal-fired power plant in Felda Sahabat near Lahad Datu after the people in Lahad Datu and Sandakan rejected the project shows that the people are being forced to accept the detrimental project," he said.

"His statements that the people of Sabah must give-and-take and that only this type of power plant can solve the State's power woes is totally unacceptable," he said.

Speaking at the joint-annual general meeting of the branches in SAPP Tanjung Kapor, Monday, Yong said Kuala Lumpur, instead should be the one to give-and-take by allowing Sabah to use its own natural gas to generate electricity, as it is more environmental-friendly.

He said the people in Lahad Datu and Sandakan rejected the coal-fired power plant to be built in Silam and Seguntor because it invites many kinds of diseases, besides polluting the environment.

He added there was also no guarantee of consistent supply of coal that needs to be imported from Indonesia and its price.

According to him, a gas-fired power plant would be ideal because it is cheaper and can be located anywhere in the State.

Yong said there was no reason for the plant to be built because Sabah is a producer of natural gas but what is disappointing, he said was that all these resources were being channeled from Kimanis to Bintulu to be processed by Petronas and exported to other countries.

The latest media report stated that million of cubic metre of natural gas is being exported to China following a sales and purchase agreement sealed between the country and Petronas.

" Sabah is the poorest state in the country and it is also plagued by various problems like water supply, roads, schools, health, illegal immigrants and others. Unfortunately, it is not allowed to even use a small portion of its own natural gas and instead forced to accept detrimental project," he said.

Yong said Kelantan, which has been under opposition rule for 19 years, is also not as poor as Sabah and in fact it is not facing so many problems like Sabah .

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. 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