Hydro Energy Inc. - Flooding Indigenous

1.0 CASE SUMMARY

Hydro Energy Inc. was incorporated on 20 April 1980 as a dam construction company which is owned by 70% Korean and 30% Malaysian. The company has won a new hydro project to build a dam in Sarawak, Malaysia. The project site was situated at a remote area where there were some illegal “orang asli“ settlements. The “orang asli” at the illegal settlements were the Penan. The traditional nomadic Penan community survives by hunting and gathering wild animals in the jungle. Some Penan feel threatened by this massive project. The proposed dam will flood the 69,000 hectares of land, displacing the Penan people and wildlife and destroying even more rain forest.

Mr Cheah Kim Chuan, the site supervisor of this project. He is a civil engineer and local resident of Sarawak itself. Mr Cheah has a friend called Upih Guling who is a Penan itself. He is one of the very few Penan that have decided to change their lifestyle and earn a living outside their community. Upih Guling also have experience working in a construction company. For this reason, Mr Cheah had recommended that the company employ Upih Guling as head of the local labourers and had persuaded Upih Guling to accept the job immediately. One night after dinner at the labourers’ camp, the head of the Penan settlements near the ongoing project confronted Upih Guling, the labourers and some of the Korean engineers. In the conversation between the head of the Penan settlement and Upih Guling, the head request the outsider to leave the forest but Upih Guling try to convince for continue the project. Lastly, the head of Penan settlement threatened if Upih Guling and the other outsiders do not leave, they will not be reluctant to use the black magic.

The next day, Upih Guling approached Mr Cheah with this problem. Mr Cheah was taking serious about the casting of black magic. At present, they were already a month behind their schedule due to shortage of workers. The labourers afraid the black magic has been cast because some worker have fallen sick with high fever so many of them resigned. With this problem at hand, Mr Cheah went to seek advice from Mr Park Sang Hyon, the newly-appointed regional manager for the company. Mr Park doesn’t believe the black magic and ask Mr Cheah send the sick people to town for checked and said that Mr Cheah should solve the problem. Five days later, the problem was still not solved. Mr Park fired Upih Guling on the ground that he was not efficient enough. When the headquarters got to know about the delay of work at the project site, the director from Korea and Kuala Lumpur branch came to meet Mr Park and Mr Cheah to discuss the problem. After the meeting, Mr Park reflect himself and wonder what he can do to change the situation.

2.0 PROBLEM STATEMENT

The main problem in this case is Mr Park does not understand religious beliefs of "orang asli" about the casting of black magic and doesn’t want to tolerance with Mr Cheah. 

Because of this, Mr Park does not take black magic issues seriously. This is happening when Mr Cheah went to see him to seek the advice about the black magic issues that happened in their company. Mr Park scold him and told him that there is no such thing exist. Mr Park came from Korea, so he believe that in twenty-first century there is no such thing as black magic.  Because of this, some of the labourers tendered their resignations. Some of them even left the site immediately without giving any notice. They were all afraid of their own safety and wellbeing.

Other than that, Mr Park already firing Upih Guling as head of the local labourers without notice. This is because he believe that Mr Upih is not efficiency enough to settle down the problem. Upih Guling was unhappy and felt disappointed.

3.0 ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES

1. Mr Park needs to see a Government to discuss about Penan people

The first alternative strategy that can be used is Mr Park need to see a Government of Sarawak. The project that they are do are in Sarawak and this project also a big project. Government should consider about Penan people living because the project takes 69000 hectares of the rain forest. Penan people are nomadic people of the rain forest. They live in a place of immense beauty, a diverse forest intersected by rivers and the world most extensive network of caves and underground passages in Sarawak. Then, because of this project some of Penan feel threatened. Government should think a best strategy for Penan people like displacement to the new rain forest in Sarawak, so it cannot disturb the project.

1. Bring Mr Park to the location and try to talk nicely with Head of Penan people

Second alternative strategy that can be used is Mr Cheah and Upih Guling need to bring Mr Park to the location and try to talk nicely with Head of Penan people. Mr Park was from Korea and he did not believe about religious belief and does not understand about the culture of orang asli. So, to make him understand about Penan religious, Mr Cheah and Upih Guling must introduce Mr Park to Head of Penan. Mr Park need to talk nicely with Head of Penan about the project that they are doing. Then, Mr Park also need to understand Penan people belief and their culture also. He need to respect Penan people culture to make their business through smoothly.

1. Make some promise or give some benefit to Penan people

In this situation, Mr Park as a manager need to pay more attention with his business project as well as with situation of Penan People. Mr Park need to do cooperation with Penan people to continue his project. The cooperation with Penan people must be conclude with win-win situation. Which is Mr Park need to make some promise such not to disturb too much with Penan people place or give some infrastructure that they need and Penan People need to give them permissions to continue their business.

4. Mr Park need to apologize to Upih Guling and take him back to the company

Since Mr Park had been firing Upih Guling without notice and making him unhappy, he need to apologize to Upih Guling. This is because Upih Guling is one of the important person. Upih Guling is a Penan people. But, he is one of the very few Penan that have decided to change their lifestyle and earn a living outside their community. Previously, Upih Guling was working with a construction company until he was retrenched. For this reason, Mr Cheah had recommended that the company employ Upih Guling as head of the local labourers and had persuaded Upih Guling to accept the job immediately. Upih Guling is very important person to negotiate with Penan people. This is because, only Upih Guling is expert about “orang asli” life and their beliefs.