Malaysia’s current opposition leader, Anwar Ibrahim, has pledged to cancel the controversial Baram Dam in Sarawak if upcoming general elections sweep him into the office of Prime Minister. Ibrahim made the announcement while visiting the state of Sarawak, located on the island of Borneo, over the weekend, according to the indigenous rights NGO, Bruno Manser Fund.
The Baram dam is one of several mega-dams that have led to large-scale protests and even construction occupations in the rainforests of Sarawak. It’s estimated that the Baram dam would force the removal of 20,000 indigenous people and flood 40,000 hectares of primary rainforest.
If elected, Ibrahim’s pledge to stop supporting the project would effectively cripple it, according to the Bruno Manser Fund.
“It is highly unlikely that Sarawak will be able to proceed with the dam constructions without the financial and political support from the federal government,” the NGO said in an e-mail.
The Baram Dam is expected to produce 1,200 megawatts. But the recently built Bakun Dam (2,400 megawatts) already produces twice the power consumed by Sarawak during peak times. Another dam, the 900 megawatt Murum dam, is currently under construction, although it has faced delays due to indigenous occupations. Critics contend that the massive dam projects are being used by corrupt politicians to pocket government funds.
Ibrahim has crafted a three-party coalition in opposition against current Prime Minister Najib Razak, whose party Barisan Nasional has been in power in Malaysia since 1963.
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