NGOs launch postcard campaign to stop coal power plant in Sabah

The Star 6 Jun 10;

KOTA KINABALU: Postcards to the Prime Minister campaigning for a stop to a coal-fired power plant on the shores of a marine rich sea will soon make their way to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s office in Putrajaya, Selangor.

The postcards show sceneries of Dent peninsula, where Sabah Electricity Sdn Bhd (SESB) wants to build a 300 megawatt coal-fired plant, and tranquil waters that are part of the globally important Coral Triangle.

An innovative way of sending a strong message to the Prime Minister, the postcards were a hit at a booth set up by Green SURF (Sabah Re-Unite to Power the Future) at the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) compound during the Harvest Festival holiday.

Staff from WWF-Malaysia’s Sabah office, along with coalition members Land Empowerment Animals People (LEAP), Sabah Environmental Protection Association (Sepa), Malaysian Nature Society (Sabah) and Partners of Community Organisations (Pacos) spent two days explaining the issue to visitors at the festival.

Visitors asked a number of questions about the plant and many willingly signed the postcards, which are also available for download.

Local celebrity Atama dropped by and shared his views with fans on the perils of a coal plant.

The project called “Postcards2PM” is the brainchild of Sabah-born visual artist Yee I-Lann, who wanted to do her part as a citizen concerned about the impact of a coal plant on communities and the environment.

Yee took photographs of the site three years ago during a road trip, not knowing that her pictures would one day land on the Prime Minister’s desk.

“The Postcards2PM project was done in a spur of the moment as a way to reach out to the Prime Minister.

“I hope that if he sees the place that will be ruined, he may understand and put a stop to the coal plant.

“The Prime Minister is the only person who can stop this,” said Yee.

She said the area chosen for the plant was along the most pristine coastline in Malaysia, and 100km away (by ocean current) is world-renowned diving site, Sipadan island.

She also pointed out that Darvel Bay, which would be impacted by pollution from the plant, was in the heartland of the fisheries industry which exported a bulk of the catch.

Yee said it was the duty of Malaysians to care about the project, as the site was also close to the Tabin Wildlife Reserve, a refuge for endangered species such as Sumatran rhinos.

She said she had been keeping tabs on statements made by the nation’s leaders on renewable energy and green technology.

She cited as example Najib’s recent announcement that a Malaysian Renewable Energy Bill was being drafted and the Prime Minister was quoted as saying that more had to be done to develop alternative energy sources.

Yee hopes that main players such as Tenaga Nasional Berhad, independent power producers, oil palm companies, environmental groups and renewable energy organisations will sit together to come up with an acceptable solution.