No right for James Masing to deny the Baram people of the road, says PBDSB president

KUCHING, June 30, 2017 - Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak Baru (PBDSB) has slammed Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr James Masing for denying the people of Baram a road to Ulu Baram just because they opposed  the construction of the Baram dam.

PBDSB president Cobbold John: Unfair to deny the people of Baram of their basic human rights

Its president Cobbold John said today that the construction of mega projects, like the Baram dam, should not be used as a factor to build the road to the remote interior of Baram.

"The government should build  basic infrastructures like roads and bridges and also supply treated water and 24-hour electricity to the rural areas as these are basic necessities for people," he said when commenting on Masing's statement yesterday.

Masing, who is also the Minister of Infrastructure Development and Transportation, was reported to have said that the Long Lama-Ulu Baram road would not be built since the construction of the Baram dam had been cancelled after strong objections by the local communities.

Cobbold said the construction of the Long Lama-Ulu Baram road should not be based on the mega project.

He said not many would agree with Masing's statement because basic infrastructures actually have no intrinsic economic value.

"They are for the government to provide to its people. Therefore a government should neither calculate economic return for it nor from it."

"If every rural development has to incorporate a so-called mega project for instance an HEP dam as the main criteria of the source of basic  infrastructures to be built, then, why are there other rural areas which does not even require a mega project, still gets the benefits of the basic infrastructure?" he asked.

Cobbold said Baram residents like any other Sarawak citizens, have the basic human rights like any Malaysians, to have the basic necessities of infrastructure development in their areas.

"Is it due to the government having budget constraints, to provide such basic necessities, which resort them to have no choice but to rely on private sector's investment like the HEP Dam to effectively pre-subsidizing the cost for the road infrastructure instead?

"Why Sarawak Barisan Government have to hold the people, especially those from Baram, at ransom when considering giving them the basic infrastructure?" Cobbold asked.

He said PBDSB wants answers for the people's sake while those in Baram are waiting in anxiety.