Tegulang Kenyah Badeng NCR case

Penans, Kenyahs affected by Murum Dam have moved to Tegulang Resettlement Area

MURUM: 

The resettlement of families from three villages affected by the RM4 billion Murum hydroelectric dam project to Tegulang Resettlement Area (Tegulang) was completed yesterday.

Seventy-two (72) families from the Long Malim Kenyah (18 families) and Long Malim Penan (54 families) moved to Tegulang yesterday.

The first batch, involving 89 families from Long Wat, was resettled there on Sept 9 this year.

The 944 megawatt (MW) Murum dam project affects a total of seven villages. The remaining four would be resettled in Metalun, which is not ready yet.

Eighty-four (84) 4-wheel-drive (4WD) vehicles started bringing the 72 families to Tegulang at 8am. Some bade farewell to their village at about 9.30am.

In the thick of action were Belaga assemblyman Liwan Lagang, Belaga Deputy Resident Joseph Ikan, personnel from eight government agencies and Murum dam project proponent Sarawak Energy Berhad (SEB). A medical team was also in the convoy.

The convoy was supposed to reach the resettlement site by 2pm, but they made it only at 5.10pm because some 20 Kenyah Badeng natives, who lived around the area, had set up a blockade at a site that was about a 10 minutes’ drive from Tegulang.

The protesters, led by their village head Gara Jalong, claimed the land occupied by the Tegulang Resettlement Area was their ‘Tanah Adat’ (ancestral land) and as such they should be compensated for the loss of land, fruits and cash crops planted there.

YB Liwan then held two separate meetings with two different groups of Kenyah Badeng, but both meetings were led by Gara Jalong.

A consensus was struck at 5pm, and the blockade was dismantled to allow the convoy to past through.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2013/10/12/3-longhouse-families-resettled/#ixzz3TJ6sQm6B