By Shannon Teoh | June 10, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 10 — Although Parliament resumes on Monday, Lim Kit Siang and Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan have not ceased a two-week Twitter argument over the construction of a dam in the senior Umno backbencher’s constituency.
The two have been at it hammer and tongs over the RM450 million dam in Kampung Tambatuon, Kota Belud, with increasingly poisonous responses attracting widespread attention from other users of the micro-blogging service.
“Baru landing di KK. Buka phone, timeline dan DM saya flooded wt tweets abt @limkitsiang’s visit to my beloved Kota Belud. Ish..,” the Barisan Nasional (BN) backbenchers’ club vice president posted on May 29 after Lim had made a visit to Sabah.
Villagers of Tambatuon have protested against the project which will flood at least four villages in the area. However, the state government has said that the project is not confirmed.
Lim, DAP’s parliamentary leader, accused the Kota Belud MP of not meeting Tambatuon residents since being elected and being unaware of their “virtual unanimous opposition” to the dam.
The Ipoh Timur MP Lim (picture) yesterday mocked Abdul Rahmad for bowing to“Twitter Power! My info- u r finally 2visit KgT tmr. Classic case:power of “social media” 2force changes even recalcitrant MPs.”
But Abdul Rahman said he had already met locals months before and insisted that the dam would provide irrigation for paddy fields in a state that imports over two-thirds of its rice.
“Sabah imports 70% of its rice. No wonder you want Sabahans belajar makan tapioca. Balik zaman Jepun. Great!” he had posted earlier today.
Abdul Rahman also compiled a ten-point rebuttal against Lim which focussed on calling the DAP veteran a hypocrite for supporting a new dam in Penang but not the one in Sabah.
“What’s so special abt ur son’s state tht u don’t mind water from Beris dam? Penangites more special? Apasal diam?” he said today, referring to Guan Eng, who is Penang chief minister.
“New dam in Penang… are u gonna lie on the ground and block this. Dont be hypocrite,” he added, referring to the Mengkuang dam that will be built at the cost of RM1.2 billion.
But Lim simply called the Umno man’s claims an “embarrassing bout of hysteria.”
The matter looks set to spill over into the Dewan Rakyat sitting beginning next week, as Abdul Rahman has already issued a challenge to him that “come parliament next week, u better dont hide!”
It is important to identify who actually benefits from the dam – Tambatuon residents or Umno?
I believe LKS’s mind is sharp.
LKS,
In a democratic society,silence is cowardice..Therefore We,rakyat must not be silence ,open as a public debate to prove them UMNOputras wrong and their irresponsible leadership….Once again applying rule of thumb as it is today the general election dirty trick is back and that the Real question has to do with the Substance, not with their autocratic motives/benefits…..corruption undertables hands.. Noble motives cannot come instead of facts, whatever umnoputras puteris motives do not render the facts wrong.
Penang investment of a dam with urgent priority of good economics values etc….while sabah people needed a state govt of fairness and socio econ growth whatsoever beneifts all not just think in term of UMNO nepotism party …good greif insallah