So this is it. The Sarawak state election is likely to be held in April. And an announcement about the date could be made soon.
One contact in Sarawak told me last week that he heard the election could be held on the 9-10 April weekend. We shall see if he is right. Whatever the dates, these polls will be closely contested.
Hitomi Kamanaka, an indie film-maker, has produced documentaries about local residents’ opposition to nuclear power plants. Only a few weeks ago, clashes erupted between residents and construction workers in Iwai Island as attempts were made to build yet another nuclear power plant.
The mistakes, cover-ups and profit-maximisation/cost-cutting of the past in Japan have come back to haunt us.
A General Electric Co engineer said he resigned 35 years ago over concern about the safety of a nuclear reactor design used in the now crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant in Japan. Dale Bridenbaugh said the “Mark 1” design had “not yet been designed to withstand the loads” that could be experienced in a large-scale accident. Read the full Reuters report here.
Activists in Japan had warned about the risks posed by the country’s nuclear power plants – and they are now calling for more information on the ground and a larger evacuation zone.
This interview from Democracy Now a couple of days ago:
SHARIF ABDEL KOUDDOUS: We go right now to Aileen Mioko Smith. She’s the director of Kyoto-based Green Action. She’s on the board of Greenpeace International. She’s joining us from San Francisco right now, one of Japan’s leading voices challenging nuclear power.
Here is an example of what’s possible when a community feels empowered. They can even build bridges – like this new suspension bridge for an Orang Asli community in Sungai Siput to replace the old rickety one.
There are several things we can learn from this suspension bridge project:
The other day, I was at the ATM when I noticed a middle-aged couple in front of me in the queue. They tried a few times to withdraw funds. As I waited a few minutes, I overheard them saying they were trying to withdraw RM20, but the machine responded “insufficient funds”. They looked stressed and worried.
All is not well among Malaysians. The level of household debt has been rising over the years at the rate of 11.1 per cent annually.
If Fukushima is not enough of a warning, those in the Malaysian government adamant about bringing nuclear power plants here should take another look at what happened at Chernobyl and Three Mile Island.
Pakatan too needs to clearly state its stand on nuclear energy so voters know exactly what they are in for.
This year is the 25th anniversary of Chernobyl, which is still pouring out radioactive gases after its sarcophagus cracked last year. They are still clearing up tons of radioactive material there. The cost of resettlement, cleanup and medical expense? US$235bn. Meanwhile, Fukushima has already emitted more radiation than Three Mile Island.
And let’s not forget our own experience with radioactive material at Bukit Merah:
At first, it was just the whisperings of a few who could easily be dismissed as crazies, but now it has become too big to ignore. The United Nations has confirmed that honey-bee colonies are mysteriously disappearing across the globe.
After first being noticed in the US and Europe, the disappearance of managed bee colonies has spread to China, Japan and Egypt.
Why are bees important? They are pollinators and they are even more crucial now when there are mounting concerns about food sufficiency.
White smoke is being emitted from reactor no. 3 of the Fukushima I nuclear power plant. This is a ‘live’ news reel from Japan.
Green Action of Japan provides a transcript of the live coverage earlier this morning:
Sattelite live: TEPCO reports about the various fire trucks arrived at the front gate (around 8am)
We cannot see from which building the flames are rising up.