Mary Giun, spokesperson of the Task Force Against Kaiduan Dam said the project had been shrouded in controversy since it was proposed and should now be cancelled.

She said Ulu Papar villagers were “angry and disappointed” with two officials who were arrested last week in the investigations, saying they were partly responsible for planning Kaiduan Dam.

“Communities in Ulu Papar have spent so much energy and time over the past seven years to protect natural resources and traditional heritage sites in Ulu Papar yet every day we face the threat of projects that are planned without solving existing problems such as leaking pipes,” she said, Bernama reported.

She said the authorities, particularly the Sabah Water Department, had not been sincere in providing answers to their concerns, such as questions about Non-Revenue Water that stands at 55.1 percent as of last year.

Last week, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission seized more than RM60 million in cash and valuables and arrested two senior officials for investigations into corruption and abuse of power in projects involving a total of RM3.3 billion in Federal Government allocations.

“We strongly believe these individuals who are implicated in the recent haul by MACC have a reason to benefit from the construction of the dam, judging from their lack of interest in engaging with communities and civil society,” she said in a statement quoted by Bernama today.

She accused the Water Department and the Sabah Infrastructure Development Ministry of continuing to justify the need for Kaiduan Dam despite critical water supply problems in areas that would not even benefit from the dam.

The proposed dam is in the Crocker Range, which is known for its biodiversity and traditional community lands.