Open Letter
of A Group of Affected Residents of the Kg Bohol Incinerator Project to the Voters of Gaya
via YB Teresa Kok, MP for Seputeh
on 10th October 2002

Dear voters of Gaya,

Kg. Bohol incinerator another reason why Gaya voters should vote the DAP


Our heartiest greetings to you from Klang Valley. We are a group of concerned citizens in Kuala Lumpur which have been affected by a mammoth waste dumping project built by the uncaring BN government in Kampong Bohol, Puchong, which is close to our residential areas.

The project poses a potential health hazard to a staggering 1 million residents living in the vicinity of the earmarked site.

Despite the strong objections of the residents - as many as 135,000 have signed the petition opposing the construction of the waste treatment plant - the BN elected representatives have kept quiet over the issue and have not made any real attempts to allay their fears.

The construction of the mega-incinerator is objectionable for two reasons - health and cost factors:

First, the release of toxic gases, especially dioxins, from incinerators is hazardous to health. Although assurance has been given that the level of dioxin emissions will be within the permissible limit, the danger of dioxin should not be underestimated. According to the World Health Organisation, dioxins can cause cancer. These chemicals remain in the environment for years and can travel long distances through the air, so even people living far from the plant would eventually suffer. Dioxins contaminate soil, plants and water sources and then enter the food chain and become concentrated in people's bodies.

The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report on the project itself revealed many glaring and disturbing flaws and weaknesses, which if not addressed, will have grave repercussions on the health of a staggering one million residents living within a 5 to 7.5 km radius from the earmarked site:

• " The data in the report are based on similar treatment plants in Japan which are capable of treating only 100-240 tonnes of waste per day, whereas the proposed incinerator (one of the biggest in the region) has a maximum capacity of treating 1,500 tonnes of waste per day. In fact, the report admitted that there are no existing data for a plant of this size in the world. The fluidised bed technology that will be used for the gasification and ash melting system of the plant is also an unproven one.
• " The report also admitted that from official records obtained, there are serious respiratory-related problems amongst adults and children in our area. The incinerator would only worsen an already unhealthy area! The fact that the report recommended the relocation of the nearby Kinrara Army Camp and Hospital clearly shows the danger posed by the project.

Secondly, the cost of processing rubbish and capital investment will eventually force the residents in Klang Valley to bear the costs - the residents will have to pay higher assessment rates.

If, for the residents of Puchong and the neighbouring areas, the incinerator project have become a contentious issue, likewise the people of Gaya, particularly those in Kota Kinabalu, have to face the exorbitant parking rates imposed by the City Hall authorities. This clearly proves that without the presence of Opposition parties to keep tabs on the government, there would be no effective monitoring of many policies and administrative decisions which affect the people adversely.

We know that this issue is too far for Sabahans to express their concern, however, we would like to take this opportunity to call upon the people of Gaya to support our cause, and use your votes to choose the right party which will uphold the rights and interests of the people to the Parliament, in order to fill the existing political vacuum in the Sabah state and to act as checks and balances against the excesses of the ruling party.

The DAP is the only political party which have expressed its concern and disapproval of the project and raised the issue in Parliament when all the other BN elected representatives have kept mum about it.

Vote DAP, to be heard!

A Group of Affected Residents of the Kg Bohol Incinerator Project