Mysterious face of Sukau Bridge unveiled
Published on: Sunday, February 12, 2017
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FINALLY, the mysterious face of the controversial Sukau Bridge and Highway project was uncloaked when Sukau Assemblyman Datuk Saddi Abdul Rahman staged a media field trip to the proposed project site last Tuesday (February 8).
Immediately, one feels arrival at a hotspot of conflict between green and brown as a group of 30 placard-holding villagers yelled “we support the bridge” when our ferry touched the south bank of the mighty Kinabatangan where they were waiting.
Once again, the Daily Express was thrown into a cauldron of Green Vs Brown conflict.
Historically, we remember Green nearly always won.
Sabah’s most famous trade-off: Monkey or Gold
The most famous trade-off battle was ‘Monkey or Gold’ – to mine Maliau Basin’s multi-billion coal/gold deposits or leave the wilderness alone.
Amazingly, the then State Government under Chief Minister Yong Teck Lee who famously said if mining were allowed, the minerals would be exploited, the gold removed and then the monkeys also gone forever, and chose the monkey then and sacrificed the gold!
But a lot of people missed the huge lesson in economics in that episode.
On that issue, some people saw only the huge benefits of swimming in cash from Maliau Basin mines but did not consider the cost.
Faced with a high stake trade-off situation where a nerve wracking choice had to be made, the State Government of the day moved its eyes beyond the cash benefits into the question of value by doing the Cost & Benefit analysis and found out the economic value of gold was not worth the cost.
The great economic lesson – What to sacrifice
So Sabah has had some great economic lessons on trade-offs – deciding which thing to sacrifice to obtain another.
In trade-offs, the pportunity cost is the thing sacrificed, to make this central economic concept simple and clear.
Sabahans better make sure they know that the dispute has arrived at the edge of a worrying trade-off situation – whether this ongoing selection process will say yes to the construction of the Sukau Bridge, which means the opportunity cost to Sabah is sacrificing the most cherished eco quality of Lower Kinabatangan – its wildness which had shot it to the Number One selling position after overtaking Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary and turtle islands, according Sandakan tour operators.
Bridge means erase wildness of Sukau for good: Operators
Big names in Sandakan ecotourism like Cede Prudente, KiTA Vice President, Johnny Lim and Treasurer, Amy Chin all concur that once a massive hardware like the Sukau bridge, highway and kilometre long elevated viaducts over Lot 3 Wildlife Sanctuary forest are put in place, it will definitely erase the wildness of destination Sukau for good and destroy the reputation of its gazetted status which had inspired the confidence of overseas tour agents.
Slowly, the wilderness appeal of the whole Lower Kinabatangan will wane, they warn.
The big picture for Sandakan is already bad because security fears created by habitual savage bandits from neighbouring Philippines.
Ever since the infamous seafood restaurant kidnapping and beheading of a Sarawakian hostage, security fear had pushed hotel occupancy to rock bottom 20-30 per cent while sales to Selingan turtle watch are way down, they say.
The bridge will bash up the last great bastion Kinabatangan that may finish off destination Sandakan, they say.
Dead end Kg Sukau needs connectivity: Saddi
Actually both Saddi, tour operators and NGOs are looking at the future of Sukau but from two sharply contrasting perspectives.
Saddi said so long as Kg Sukau remains a dead end village, it has no future.
On that basis, he argued that connectivity to Lahad Datu via a Sukau bridge is a key to stimulate its development, pointing to the long standing potholes in main village access road and an old police station without quarters.
Willing to meet Dr Benoit and others
Speaking good English and quite a friendly guy on a personal basis, he claims he is a biodiversity advocate who doesn’t want to be biased and said he was willing to talk matters out with Dr Benoit Goossens, Director of Danau Girang Field Centre who has been vocal against the bridge.
He also told Daily Express last Wednesday that he was willing to hear out the side of tourism players who plan to hold a dialogue in Kota Kinabalu.
Saddi even claimed he could be as flexible as cancelling the bridge if no funds were available.
Met PM direct for the funds
He told Daily Express he managed to see Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak direct to secure the funds.
The budget secured is RM232 million, split into two phases.
Phase 1 involves an approach road followed by a RM67 million bridge across the Kinabatangan at Sukau.
Phase 2 involves upgrading 0.3km of the IOI dirt road before constructing an ambitious 1.38km of elevated bridge featuring a raft of viaducts for animals to cross a forested Lot 3 of the Lower Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary that will cost a whopping rm150m in addition to upgrading 1km of dirt road till Kg Moresem.
On the surface they yet to be proven chain of inland viaducts look good.
But according to Cede Prudente, the elephants stick their movements to the river banks where they find plenty of grass to eat, plenty of water to drink up to 100 litres a day and a ready river to bathe in, and not through the forest where there’s little food and water.
In particular they like to congregate in the Sukau river banks area because its flat and often level with the river for easy plunge into the river.
So, is this a massive flyover and viaducts across Lot 3 a big “do” for nothing except to further destroy the wildness of Sukau?
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