The Star 23 Jun 10;
KOTA KINABALU: Bad weather did not deter a group of conservationists from getting their message across on the environmental impact of a proposed coal-fired power plant at the marine rich Dent peninsula in Sabah’s east coast.
Diver Shartner Liew said he had his friends had wanted to take shots of the reef and coral at the Tunku Abdul Rahman Marine Park to show the impact of human and industrial activity but were unable to do so due to bad weather.
Instead, his diving buddies took underwater photos of a T-shirt bearing the message ‘Stop the coal-powered plant’ as part of their efforts to stop the 300-megawatt project.
They also took short videos of them signalling “no” in diver’s language, to scrap the plant on the shores of the globally significant Coral Triangle.
Liew said they wanted the Government to seek alternative options in generating power for Sabah.
He and his friends fear that reefs on the east coast, including at dive sites like Sipadan, Lankayan and Mabul, would be negatively impacted if a power plant is built in Lahad Datu.
“We want to spread the word to the nation to stop the coal-powered plant,” he said in a statement issued through Green SURF (Sabah re-unite to power the future).
“That is why we decided to do this together, as a team of divers. We were joined by friends from other parts of the country.”
The group received support from Ewave Scuba Crew, which supplied them with diving equipment.
Liew said several tourists at the marine park had shown interest in what the team was doing.
“We have new friends who are telling us that they, too, are against the plant. This is our way of creating awareness.”
Green SURF, a coalition of five non-governmental organisations, is seeking support to get the Government to use green technology to power Sabah instead of a coal plant.
Their viral video can be viewed online at: http://bit.ly/a0RF9c
