Nuclear accidents and energy policy

Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) President Datuk Yong Teck Lee, said with so much negative publicity generated by the Japanese Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants in the aftermath of the earth quake and tsunami, it is has become highly unlikely that the Malaysian government will proceed with any final decision to build nuclear power plants for the foreseeable future.

"However, we should be concerned about other nuclear plants which are dangerously near to Sabah should a nuclear accident happen. For instance, the Philippines's Bataan Nuclear Plant near Manila. This Bataan plant is being mothballed but might be rehabilitated as the Philippines is running out of energy options. There are also several nuclear plants in Guangdong and other parts of Southern China.

Coal plant DEIA rejected

Kota Kinabalu, Aug 19, 2010: The Department of Environment (DOE) has rejected the Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) for the controversial proposed 300MW coal-fired power plant at Sinakut, Dent Peninsular.

Sabah Environment Protection Department Director, Yabi Yangkat, said he was informed of the decision by the Director-General of DOE through a faxed message Wednesday afternoon.

A central reason DOE cited for rejecting the DEIA, prepared by a team of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Bakarunding consultants, was many important environmental parameters in respect to the proposed project were not addressed in the DEIA report, according to Yabi.

Coal-fired plant against green policy revisited

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.

Malaysia's Hall of Fame

Year 2009 has been a memorable year of sorts...Najib's 1Malaysia - of racism...BTN...Year 2010 racist idiot like Ibrahim Ali, religious fanaticism - Zulkifli, corruption - PKFZ, (No) murdered Altantuya, (No) dead Teoh Beng Hock, (No) sugar, (No) lost fighter jet engine, (No)missing & hiding Bala, (No) No budget for general hospital for KK, now...resurgence of the racist -Ahmad Ismail

No to Sandakan Coal-fired Power Plant!

Just after months of objections, protests made by the people of Sandakan, the NGOs and SAPP, only now did they (the State Government) come up with a DELAYED RESPONSE that they haven't (yet) committed nor commenced works on the Coal-fired power plant in Seguntor, Sandakan...short of saying cancellation!

I would like to quote this press statement by TNB on Dec 24, 2008 NST that "Tenaga National Berhad (TNB) is going ahead with its plan to move the cancelled coal-fired power plant project in Silam, Lahad Datu to a new site in Sandakan..."

Hurray! The people won 'Round One' Wait for Round Two!

WILL WE SEE ANOTHER FLIP FLOP HERE IN MABUL?

Do you remember the decision by the State Government to scrap the building of a coal fired plant in Lahad Datu on the basis of environment on 4 May 2008. Then in a news on 21 November 2008, Datuk Zakaria Idris (BN - Gum Gum) said that blackouts due to insufficient power supply were common and threatened economic development in the east coast. Sabah has no choice but to accept a 300mW coal-fired plant in Sandakan to ensure sufficient power supply in the state’s east coast, an assemblyman told the State Assembly. Have you ever wonder if what is not right for Lahad Datu can be right for Sandakan? So much for the flip-flop disease of our nation leadership. Is it as contagious? Before that is sorted out, we now have a new environmental issues on Mabul island. A proposed 33 hectare oceanarium resort will be build in Mabul Island, located in the East Coast of Sabah.
State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun had said that it will not destroy the coral reefs. Rather, it would help ease pressure from the diving crowd coming from neighbouring Sipadan island.

The question now is should we have development at the expense of environment? How much can Sabah benefit from the tourist who would "flock" to the oceanarium? Is it jus another "project" for the rakyat? I leave it for your the rakyat to call the shots, remember the next general elections, even a vote make the difference...........its in your hand now.