Social conflict in the Bakun and Kelau Dam Projects in Malaysia: An Indigenous Perspective

Abstract

In the institutional change discourse, social conflict is said to erode the credibility of institutions and lead to empty institutions, to make of them a hollow shell that even has a negative effect on the actions of social and political actors. Social conflict is the manifestation of inequality of distributional conflict among the actors involved. To investigate its nature, its role, and how it is perceived among the indigenous population, this paper examines two development projects in Malaysia: the Bakun Hydroelectric Project (HEP) in Sarawak and the Kelau Dam in Pahang. The instruments employed in this paper include survey, interview, observation, and content analyses. The Orang Ulu and Orang Asli are the two indigenous people in Malaysia who were directly affected by the projects‘ implementation. This paper will trace the conflict involved in both of the dam projects in terms of their source, type and magnitude. In addition, local reactions and the role of the state in dealing with this matter will also be clarified.