KAPIT: Sarawak Energy recently held a briefing and dialogue session here to update government officials and community leaders on community investment initiatives, community engagement activities and the progress of Baleh HEP Project.
This is part of Sarawak Energy’s efforts to ensure the stakeholders, who are affected by the Baleh Hydroelectric Project (HEP), are informed of the project.
The session was co-chaired by Kapit Resident Nyurak Keti and Sarawak Energy’s Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability general manager Jiwari Abdullah.
At the session, Sarawak Energy shared the progress of Baleh HEP with the attendees and discussed its ongoing engagement activities and community investment initiatives for Baleh and Kapit.
“Community engagements, planned and implemented to date, are in accordance with the Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP) and best practices in managing stakeholders’ expectation and aspirations. We will continue to engage regularly to ensure their views and concerns are recorded and assessed,” Jiwari said.
Nyurak said that Sarawak Energy’s regular briefing sessions for government and community stakeholder groups have been a good platform to find pragmatic solutions for grievances involving local communities.
He also stressed the importance of collective discussions on issues pertaining to culture and heritage preservation, land claims and compensation to the affected communities.
On local participation, Bukit Mabong district officer Douglas Pungga highlighted the importance of prioritising the local communities in Baleh for employment during the project. He urged contractors and sub-contractors to utilise the available local workforce in Baleh and provide opportunities to local communities to be involved in the supply of goods and services to cater for various project needs.
Community leader Temenggong Wilfred Billy Panyau also highlighted on the importance of conservation and documentation of cultural sites along the Baleh River as the cultural sites are significant to all communities in the Baleh basin.
Also present were Kapit Deputy Resident Galong Luang, Kapit district officer Criselogo Sabut, Sarawak Administrative Officer Wee Teck Min, Baleh and Kapit community leaders, Temenggong Tan Kian Hoo, Temenggong Wasli Noor and Penghulu Jampi Rawing, village headmen Tr Laso Bunya, Tr Unggam Majau, Tr Langga Munan, Tr Tajai Sanggau and Tr Sosely Sintau.
Also in attendance were officers from Land and Survey Department, Forest Department Sarawak, Sarawak Rivers Board, Sarawak Energy’s project managers and project delivery team, Baleh liaisons and community relations team from Sarawak Energy. The briefings from Sarawak Energy were presented by project director Tan Hang Kiak, Baleh community relations manager Jantai Maseng and Community Relations Division manager Augustine Supen Taja.
Energy’s community development initiatives are planned and implemented in alignment to the International Hydropower Association’s (IHA) Hydropower Sustainability Assessment Protocol (HSAP), International Finance Corporation (IFC), Equator Principles, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP), the principles of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and the World Commission on Dams (WCD).
