Spin-off industries will‘ speed up ’s developme: PM launches hydro projec ?.i By Farush Khan Hasmah arrived here earlier $hk;rening to a red carpet , Sun. - Datuk Seri Dr Taib, State Cabinet Minis- today launched the RM15 ters, local dignitaries, and billion Bakun hydro-electric senior civil servants were project which is expected to hasten the pace of develop- y$?~&F&e~~u~gp ment in the State. Also present at the airport The Prim? Minister, in de- were cultural dancers in scribing ii: as the largest pro- their traditional finery, and cation Minister Datuk Amar He said the Government ject’ in the development of several hundred State Bari- Dr Sulaiman Daud, Works could have borrowed money Sarawak, said it would cre- san Nasional members who Minister Datuk to implement the project, ate spin-off industries brought along their respec- and Datuk Ting Pek Khiing, but the sale of electricity which would enrich the tive party flags. chairman of Ekran Berhad produced might not have State. The Prime Minister said 1which is undertaking the been enough to cover the These would be in the the project was so large that prolect. cost of the project. form of tourism and other it had taken a long time for At a Press conference lat- “Today, has pro- related projects. the Governmen\ to decide er, Dr Mahathir said the gressed and pro essed well He hoped that the project on its implementation. Economic Planning Unit and we find t f?at we are scheduled to be completed “We could not decide ear- had agreed recently that Ek- short of electricity.” in 2002 would be earlier than lier and it was not timely ran Berhad would lead in He added that the country planned as “I would like to then.” the implementation of the had to expedite the produc- see it myself. He said he was still the Bakun project. tion of electricity to double to“yag,v,erYdi~P~Pp;w& Denutv Prime Minister He said the details of oth- the amount needed today. when t”he idea was mooted er parties participating in Dr Mahathir also said the not being able to officiate at but it was only now that “we the project would be flna- Bakun dam project might the opening,” he said to see light at the end of the lisedl - cause unhappiness among laughter from the crowd at tunnel”. Dr Mahathir said two some quarters who he de- the launahing ceremony at Dr Mahathir added that studies had been carried out scribed as those bent on the Kuching Santubong Re- the project might not have on the project by the Gov- punishing themselves by sort. 32km from here. been a success if done 14 ernment and a Brazilian not being happy and by say Also present were Datin years ago as the country consultant. Seri Dr Siti Hasmah Mo- He said another study ing that such projects would gt;f pa&-; E”,~fg?: destroy the environment. hamed Ali, Chief Minister could have been carried out “The Government rea- Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mah- tion of ‘electricity was not but because it was very ex- lises that such a project mud, Information Minister that high then. pensive, nobody wanted to Datuk , He said a project could conduct it. unless they were 0 PLEASE TLJRN TO Perlis Menteri Besar Dr Ab- only become viable when it given’the project. PAGE 2, COL k? dul Hamid Pawanteh, .Edu- could be implemented. Dr Mahathir and Dr Siti PM: Natural resources should be utilised wisely that the people against hy- pocrisy.” thosewho incited the peo le 0 FROM PAGE ONE against such projects a&d would cost a loss of trees dro-electric projects were He said the authorities those who had destroy,ed &Id still provide other fa- projects planned by the and animalsand may result Government. in the displacementof peo- their own forests for cheap cilities besides preserving ple. Put then there is a price electricity. the environment and flora He slid it would be a to be paid in this world and “They now tell us not to and fauna while undertak- wastenot tcr!cxve!spnatural removetrees but they en’oy ing suchprojects. resourceseconomically and the next.” h effectively. The Prime Minister added cheapelectricity. This is y- Dr Mahathir criticised