KAPIT, Dec 8, 2016 -
Sarawak Energy’s key stakeholders in Baleh and Kapit now have a clearer
understanding on the opportunities and socio-economic benefits that will be
brought about by the construction of the Baleh Hydroelectric Project (HEP)
following a recent briefing conducted by the energy development group.
The briefing garnered good participation from the
communities from Baleh and Kapit.
About 120 people comprising local contractors,
entrepreneurs, community and association leaders and villagers from Baleh and
Kapit attended the briefing at the Resident and District Office here.
The briefing is part of the corporation’s initiative to
ensure informed proactive consultation and engagements particularly with those
who will be indirectly affected by the Baleh HEP. T
The intention is also to encourage local participation.
There will be no resettlement of communities needed for the dam’s
construction.
As Sarawak Energy subscribes to the Hydropower
Sustainability Assessment Protocol of the International Hydropower Association,
the corporation is committed to carrying out regular stakeholder engagement on
the principle of free, prior and informed consultation to allow communities the
right to give their opinion and voice their grievances on proposed projects
that may affect them.
The briefing was conducted by Jiwari Abdullah, Sarawak
Energy Head of Corporate Social Responsibility and Tan Chuan Ngan, Baleh HEP
Project Director, supported by Stell Sindau, Community Relations Advisor and
Sarawak Energy’s CSR and project team.
Also present at
the briefing were Galong Luang, Kapit Division Deputy Resident and Temenggong
Tan Kian Hoo.
The briefing featured updates on the progress of Baleh
HEP and the available scope of works under local content for contractors and
entrepreneurs in Baleh and Kapit.
The construction of Baleh HEP will create business
opportunities that can be potentially tapped by the locals and about 3,500 jobs
of various skill grades during the implementation of the project.
These opportunities are in the form of
infrastructure/facility construction like operators’ village, civil works,
maintenance, transmission and distribution works and biomass removal as well as
the supply of goods and services.
To ensure local youth are ready for employment
opportunities, Sarawak Energy has also begun providing skills training this
year for them at local training institutions like Institut Kemahiran Belia
Negara and Institut Latihan Perindustrian.
Questions and answer session with the communities.
Within the next two years, Sarawak Energy is expected to
support the training of around 500 youths from Baleh.
The skills training will be on welding, scaffolding,
rigging/slinging/working at heights, blasting and coating, safety, handling
heavy vehicles and machineries like bulldozers, excavators, rollers and also
courses on electrical, mechanical, administration, human resources and
entrepreneurship.
These courses have been identified as relevant to the
project from its implementation stage till completion.
Commenting on the skills training, Jiwari said; “As a
responsible project implementor, Sarawak Energy is committed to working closely
with the community of Baleh for the successful implementation of the Baleh HEP
which is bound to trigger economic opportunities for the people here and also
for Sarawakians all over.
“At this initial stage of the project alone, we have
already started preparing the community especially the young people to enable
them to take up the jobs following the construction of Baleh HEP by equipping
them with the needed skills and knowledge,” he said.
The ‘Baleh HEP: Skill Training for Baleh Youth’, aligned
with Sarawak Energy’s CSR community investment focus area on education and
young people, will see the youth being absorbed into internship programmes
after training and also undergo coaching on soft skills to prepare them for the
job market.-
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