Natives refuse to move.

[Luceit]

[Scarlet Assassin]

Since this thread has no link to the source or the nature of this issue I can't really comment. Could you give us some insight as to the nature of the dam project and exactly HOW it's for the good of the nation?
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Chief of Beat-em-up Honeys Division, Devoted Protector of Lady Tifa Lockhart

[Phamex]

I'm with Scarlet on this one, I need more information, but it'd still be tricky to judge. You always have to be careful of that phrase, "For the good of ____." If the government came up to me and asked me to move away from everything I've ever known for the good of the country, well, I'd probably be of the opinion that the country could bugger itself. Sacrificing for the greater good is fine and dandy when you come to that decision on your own, it's something else entirely when people take what they want from you and use the greater good as justification.
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[Luceit]

The source is here: www.thestar.com.my. You can check for it underneath the Nation section.

Insofar as I've heard, this dam project probably has to do with the water shortage problem. This is actually the first time I'm hearing about this dam project, so I hope more people can share their insights in the newspaper tomorrow.

Okay, I found a possible source that explains the reason for the project: Type in 'Kelau Dam' in Google and click on the first one. Apparently, my college blocks it out, though it's a government website. :?

Another one you can check: http://www.coac.org.my/codenavia/portals/coacv2/code/main/main_art.php? parentID=0&artID=11706591776329
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[Calupict]

This is the long problem in human rights law. Whether the government have more rights to build the nations or the indigenous people have more rights to reserve their old life.

There is a draft convention concerning the indigenous people namely "United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples"; but since it's only a draft article it's not yet come into force. Yet, if anyone wanted to refer to this matter they use ILO's "Convention concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries" or the "International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights".

For indigenous people, move from their old home is not a simple thing to do like ours do. This is because they often have 'special' way of life that cannot be simple observed by us. They often have high dependency to their land and it's often became a big social matter after the relocation.

On the other hand, the government needs their land for the development of the country. It's argued that the government can deprived the indigenous rights at the ground of social-economic of the country.

To me, the alternative is either the government build the dam at the another area if it is possible. If they do not have alternative place to build the dam, the government should give the indigenous people enough information and fair compensation to them; so the problem can be minimal.

Ah yeah, the link please.

[Luceit]

The links are listed above and you should try Googling 'Kelau Dam'. It looks like even Japan is investigating if it's viable.
From what I've read so far, people are concerned that the move will destroy the environment and it is uneccessary.

Another link: http://www.biznewsdb.com/english/newspage/newspage.asp?ID=7030923&file1 =7&bulan=03&kw=wwqq
Thing is, if it's really like Najib claims, the orang asli are out of luck. A similiar situation happened with the Selangor Dam, and the people were driven out anyway. I'll go research that one as well.
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[kuwaizair]

That is a hard thing to think about. this was that dam that would flood a vally for hydroelectric power right? while its good to find alterntive sources of power for 'all', is it worth the cost of runing some people's lives?
or is this a differnt dam in question?
as for environmental impace
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/12/13/tech/main2253676.shtml
small ones in America have disrupted salmon and trout migrations to the point some have built a way for the fish to continue to swim upstream.
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few runes short of a set of 27

[Rune hunter]

Hmm, this is a tough issue to judge. On the one hand people have the right to there private property. Especially if they have been living on the said property for who knows how many generation. On the other hand the government has the power of emminent domain. If the government were to take your property without consent it might technically be legal(still it would be immoral).

The best possible solution would be to relocate them as close as possible to there ancestral land and give them fair and just compensation.

[Luceit]

Now, here's the dilemma. The Government claims that they already studied it and they say it won't cause a major impact; the group that supports the natives says that it will cause major ecological damage. Another thing they mentioned was that digging a tunnel could help mitigate the environmental problems and that the orang asli could be replaced.
One big concern is that the orang asli have not given their consent. The rights of the orang asli are listed underneath the Constitution and as such, it's possible that it's illegal for the Government to chase them out.
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[Inko]

There is also the case if they don't get the homes that the government has promised them. I have seen it happen before however it is not in that country in particuler but in China.