KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s Babagon Dam is safe and in no danger of failure, Deputy Chief Minister III Datuk Shahelmey Yahya said.
Sahelmey, the state works minister, claimed the Jetama Sdn Bhd-operated water dam had earlier this year passed all necessary inspections.
He said Jetama and Sabah Water Department forwarded the report to him as 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 (NRECC).
“Jetama Sdn Bhd is responsible for operating and maintaining Babagon Dam. Based on their Fifth Major Surveillance Report in April 2023, their dam consulting engineer concluded the dam is in good condition and performing as expected,” he said.
He said the last surveillance report was in February 2023, and was carried out by a third-party qualified dam consultant.
He said the NRECC report was based on checks carried out by June 2022.
Babagon Dam in Penampang, built in 1994, is a major water source for the state’s west coast, including the state capital.
On Monday, the ministry identified several dams that could potentially pose a threat if they were to fail. These include the Bakun Dam in Sarawak, the 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.
The ministry said these were the findings of a dam safety flying squad that carried out inspections from 2021 to 2022.
The inspection found high sedimentation in the reservoir, damage to the instrumentation and water control equipment, seepage, damage to the integrity of the concrete structures, and soil erosion 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 intends to proceed with the flying squad’s inspection of other dams, particularly those over 50 years old.
The ministry said 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, such as the Public Works Department, the Irrigation and Drainage Department (DID), Tenaga Nasional Bhd, the Muda Agricultural Development Authority, the National Water Research Institute of Malaysia, and the Minerals and Geoscience Department, as well as private parties.
