SABAH ASSEMBLY: COAL-FIRED PLANT AGAINST GREEN POLICY

KUCHING: A bid for an emergency motion to enable the House to debate a proposed 300mW coal-fired power plant at Tungku in the east coast Lahad Datu district was rejected by Speaker Datuk Juhar Mahiruddin.

The emergency motion was tabled by Melanie Chia Ket Sui (SAPP-Luyang) who said that the coal-fired plant was not in line with the Government’s emphasis on green energy.

“Developed nations are abandoning coal-fired plants. Why are we in Sabah taking something that has been abandoned,” she said.

Melanie said the idea of a coal-fired plant was unpopular and it had been relocated twice, from Silam in Lahad Datu initially and then from Seguntor in Sandakan before being fixed at Tungku.

“The people of Lahad Datu and Seguntor had rejected the coal-fired plant and now the majority of Sabahans do not want it as well,” she added.

At this juncture Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman stood up and asked Melanie to substantiate her claim that a majority of the people were rejecting the coal-fired plant.

“Please do not mislead the House,” he added.

Datuk Suhaili Said (BN-Tungku) then stood up and told the House that as far as he knew, his constituents had no issues about the coal-fired plant being located in their area.