Surprise call at Norway headquarters: Borneo natives take Norconsult to task

Today, a group of Sarawakian residents who have been negatively impacted by dams paid a surprise visit to Norconsult, a Norwegian energy consulting firm, in Oslo. They insisted on speaking with John Nyheim, CEO and President of Norconsult, on the company’s operations in Sarawak. However, the corporate management forbade the locals from speaking to their employees and ordered them to vacate their office in Sandvika, which is close to Oslo.

Through its Malaysian subsidiary, NorPower, Norconsult has been offering technical and engineering support to Sarawak Energy, a state-owned dam function Object() { [native code] } and energy provider in Malaysia.

Twelve hydroelectric dams are now being built by Sarawak Energy in the Borneo jungles of Sarawak. Tens of thousands of indigenous people will be displaced by these dams, which will flood hundreds of square kilometres of forest. The execution of the dam proposal is dependent on the expertise and recommendations of Norconsult.

Native American Lah Jok is startled by Norconsult’s lack of concern for the condition of the impacted people, since his hamlet Long Liam will be swamped by the proposed Baram Dam: We’ve come a long way, yet nobody in this enormous organisation has time to talk to us, can they?

The CEO and President John Nyheim declined the request for a formal meeting from the SAVE Rivers team from Sarawak.

Peter Kallang, the head of the indigenous group, responded angrily: “How can Norconsult be helping Sarawak Energy drown our people yet won’t meet with us? They must understand that they can’t quiet us, Mr. Nyheim and his employees. We request that they no longer counsel Sarawak Energy.

The Northern Norway part of the Borneo delegation’s visit of Europe will follow. They will go to the contentious Alta Dam in Norway tomorrow, which was constructed there on Sami natives’ ancestral lands in the late 1970s.

The Sami people who participated in the struggle against the construction of the Alta Dam on their territory will be introduced to the Malaysians by representatives of the Sami Parliament.

The Bruno Manser Fund denounces Norconsult for its haughty attitude and lack of openness in dealing with the stakeholders from Sarawak’s indigenous communities.

The imperilled tropical rainforests and the rights of the native forest peoples are top priorities for the Swiss-based Bruno Manser Fund (BMF). The group focuses on Sarawak, a state in Borneo that belongs to Malaysia. Swiss environmentalist Bruno Manser, who has been missing since his most recent visit to Sarawak in May 2000, launched the Bruno Manser Fund.

ww newsletter

Subscribe to Email Updates :


About the author

Alex Jones

Alex Jones is a tech-savvy editor at World-Wire, renowned for his expertise in writing detailed technical articles and user-friendly how-to guides. With a background in Information Technology, he excels in demystifying complex tech topics. His work is highly valued for its accuracy and practicality, earning him awards like "Innovator in Tech Journalism" in 2023. Alex's role at World-Wire is pivotal in making technology accessible to a broad audience.

Add Comment

Click here to post a comment

Hide picture