KUCHING: A delegation comprising the Public-Private Partnership Unit (UKAS) in the Prime Minister’s Department, federal agencies and the Regional Corridor Development Authority (Recoda) visited the Murum hydro electric project (HEP) recently.

Leading the 20-member delegation was UKAS deputy director-general (Policy) Dato Badaruddin Mahyudin, who was accompanied by Recoda’s CEO Datuk Amar Wilson Baya Dandot and senior officials from JKR and Sarawak Energy.

Among those from Sarawak Energy were its general manager (Planning & Strategy) Alvin Lim, and senior manager (Hydro Owner’s Project Management) Kueh Lak Tee.

The April 23 visit was an educational tour for the delegation in which they were briefed by project director Frankie Chin and his team on the Murum HEP development, including its resettlement exercise.

After the briefing, they were given a tour around the dam site, which included the dam crest, spillway, Ecological Power System (EPS) and power house.

The visitors were impressed with the progress and on-going works at the dam, especially with the infrastructure and facilities provided under the resettlement exercise.

There were a number of queries, particularly on the resettlement programme, which the delegation felt was implemented well by Sarawak Energy.

They acknowledged that the resettlement programme had been put in place, and main concerns like basic infrastructure, amenities, education for both adult and child and the villagers’ health tackled.

The delegation admitted this was not an easy feat as it would take some time to get the people to settle into their new environment and experience the sustainable benefits that come from this.

Aside from the compensation package, the villagers are given continuous assistance to help them adapt to their new life.

This includes initiatives such as the Home Garden Programme, which is a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Agriculture and Sarawak Energy, and the Murum Penan Literacy programme. These community development programmes were meant to give the affected equal access to development.

The delegation expressed their gratitude to Sarawak Energy for welcoming and allowing them to visit the Murum HEP.

UKAS’s mission is to drive economic transformation through strategic public-private partnership based on integrity, innovation and value for money principle for the well being of the people.

Prior to this, the visitors attended a briefing on the progress of Murum road by JKR at its site office at the junction of Bakun/Murum road.

Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/05/03/murum-hydro-electric-project-impresses-delegates-from-ukas-federal-agencies/#ixzz31rg7Fc2E