KOTA KINABALU: Sabah's Babagon Dam is safe and there is no danger of failure, says Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya.
The state Works Minister said the dam operated by private water producer Jetama Sdn Bhd passed all necessary checks earlier this year.
He said Jetama and the Sabah Water Department had provided the report to him as the Babagon Dam was among eight dams in the country that could possibly face failure following checks by the Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry.
"Babagon Dam is being operated and maintained by Jetama. Based on their Fifth Major Surveillance Report in April 2023, their dam consulting engineer concluded that it is in good condition and performing as expected," he said when contacted.
He said the last surveillance report was in February 2023 and added that it was done by an independent qualified dam consultant.
Shahelmey then said that the report submitted to the federal ministry was based on checks carried out by June 2022.
Babagon Dam in Penampang was built in 1994 and is a major water source for the west coast of the state, including the state capital.
On Monday, the ministry said that Bakun Dam in Sarawak, Muda and Ahning Dams in Kedah, the Jor and Mahang Dams in Perak, the Sultan Abu Bakar Dam in Pahang and the Kenyir Dam in Terengganu had damage and could pose a threat to nearby residents and property in the event of failure.
The ministry said these were the findings by a dam safety flying squad which carried out inspections from 2021 to 2022.
The inspection found high sedimentation in the reservoir, damage to instrumentation and water control equipment, seepage, damage to the integrity of the concrete structures, soil erosion as well as signs of collapse.
The cost of repair and maintenance for the eight dams, said the ministry, was estimated at RM135.82mil, adding that the dam owners would need to provide a special provision for maintenance.
The ministry said it planned to continue with the flying squad to inspect other dams, especially those over 50 years old.
The ministry said that the flying squad was an ad hoc body coordinated by the Water Supply Division in the ministry, with members consisting of experts from various technical departments.
These departments include the Public Works Department, the Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID), Tenaga Nasional Bhd and the Muda Agricultural Development Authority.
The ministry said the inspection by the flying squad used the Malaysia Dam Safety Management Guidelines developed by the DID.
