A Letter From Sabah To The PM

Hantu Laut

The letter below has been published in Lim Kit Siang's blog with only one purpose, to revile the Prime Minister to gain political mileage.

I am putting the same letter on this blog as an appeal to the Prime Minister to strongly consider a clean alternative energy source instead of coal, which even with so called clean technology would still emit some greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Coal is dirt that burn.Carbon emissions from burning coal are one of the leading causes of global warming and acid rain.Sabah has alternative source of cleaner energy ...why not use it? Carbon content in coal can reached as high as 90 percent and double the amount of carbon emission as compared to natural gas.

Tenaga claimed that their using of clean technology can't be verified.The only way coal can be considered less dirty is when it is refined.

Refined coal is the product of coal upgrading technology that removes moisture and certain pollutants from lower-rank coals such as sub-bituminous and lignite (brown) coals. It is one form of several pre-combustion treatments and processes for coal that alter coal's characteristics before it is burned.The goals of pre-combustion coal technologies are to increase efficiency and reduce emissions when the coal is burned. Depending on the situation, pre-combustion technology can be used in place of or as a supplement to post-combustion technologies to control emissions from coal-fueled boilers.Even than it would not be clean as clean.

The letter is substantive and shows the tenacity of Sabahans not wanting burning coal in their midst.

I hope the Prime Minister would read the letter and give serious consideration to the plea of Sabahans to save their health and natural heritage from destruction and to reduce greenhouse gases as promised at the Copenhagen Conference.

From Copenhagen to Sabah: 1Earth, 1Climate Change; 1Najib?

Dear Prime Minister Najib Razak,

Once again, we welcome your serious and determined efforts to reduce carbon emission to help halt global warming in the interests of our future generations.

Surely, the first important step to CUTTING (rather than increasing) carbon emission is to cancel the proposed coal power plant to be built in Felda Sahabat, Lahad Datu, which is very close to the various pristine, precious natural paradise of Darvel Bay, Coral Triangle Initiative, Tabin Wildlife Conservation area and so on, which make the East Coast of Sabah one of the remaining natural treasures of the world.

You have asked for our views “on what more we can do to ensure a greener Malaysia, so that we can learn from each other.” Great! Here are some. We do not dream that you would actually ‘learn’ from humble Sabahans like us, but we would be very grateful already if you could at least be consistent in your position on climate change and coal.

You have asked Sabah to accept the “dirty, environmentally not friendly” coal power plant even though:

a) Sabah does NOT produce coal, and all the coal used for the proposed power plant would have to be IMPORTED all the way from Indonesia.

We can understand why countries like China and USA use coal — because coal is produced locally in these countries; but we are puzzled by why we are forced to import toxic trash like coal when we don’t need it nor want it here in Sabah!

b) Sabah has ALTERNATIVES to generate electricity without resorting to dirty coal.

As a major palm oil producer, we — especially in the East Coast of Sabah — have plenty of empty fruit bunches left over everyday, a natural waste product of cultivating palm oil, which could be easily used for generating bio-mass power. All it takes is for your government to take steps to tap into this abundantly and easily available resource of Sabah. Yet, it does not seem that your government is serious about taking any other initiative which would save Sabah from coal.

Or, we could either use the natural gas produced in Kimanis, Sabah itself or — if your government insists on depriving Sabahans of their own natural resources by exporting it all the way to Sarawak — then at least exchange the export of our natural gas to Sarawak with hydro-electricity power from Bakun Dam, Sarawak, which your government now plans to export all the way — across the mountains, forests and even ocean — to West Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. Anywhere but Sabah, even though it is feasible to supply to the East Coast of Sabah.

Basically, your government has:

(1) forced us to give up our own natural gas from Kimanis, Sabah,

(2) refused to at least give us clean hydro-power from Bakun, Sarawak in exchange,

(3) exporting Bakun hydro-power to everywhere EXCEPT Sabah, and then

(4) forced us in Sabah to IMPORT DIRTY COAL from Indonesia!!

Why is it that when it comes to DIVERTING clean energy sources AWAY FROM Sabah, your government is willing to leave no stone unturned regardless of how difficult it may be, but when it comes to POLLUTING Sabah with dirty, environmentally unfriendly coal, your government is determined to force it down our throats and even ask us to sacrifice?

This basically sums up Sabahans’ bewilderment with your decision to force us to accept coal:

“The bottom line is Sabah has alternatives to having a coal-fired power plant and the technology is available now, what we seem to have is a lack of will from certain parties who say that there is no alternative but this is not true, we have alternatives. Imagine what a great model for the world Sabah will be with this!”

Whether the proposed coal power plant passes the so-called “Environmental Impact Assessment” and whether there really is such a thing as “clean coal technology” are completely beside the point — because Sabah DOES NOT NEED COAL IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Therefore, we are still very puzzled by why you must FORCE us to accept coal, given your own apparently strong stand on climate change and dislike of coal whenever you spoke OUTSIDE of Sabah.

In Paris, when addressing the Unesco General Conference on 6 October 2009, you have said:

“…The forthcoming summit in Copenhagen must reflect a strong commitment and action to reverse serious deterioration of planet earth.Read more..