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Broga incinerator: stop
it today if Malaysians do not want to feel sorry tomorrow
Press Statement
by Ronnie Liu
(Petaling Jaya,
Wednesday):
Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk seri Ong ka Ting said yesterday
in the Parliament that the government would take into account views from the
public on the proposed RM1.5 billion Broga incinerator in Semenyih, which
has drawn much opposition from the residents, environmentalists, DAP and
other opposition parties.
The minister also said that the project would only be implemented after the
government receives a full report of its possible impact on the environment.
He said consultants would conduct an EIA study covering all aspects of the
project. Pending its completion, the government will not commence the
project. Ong said that his ministry is willing to consider other methods and
technologies to improve solid waste disposal in the country.
What the minister has said yesterday was sweet to the ears, but the public
in general must be informed that the incinerator which was supposedly to be
built in Kg Bohol, Puchong do have an EIA report approved by the various
government authorities. It's therefore insufficient to proceed with the
project just because the government have completed an EIA report on the
site. There is also no guarantee or credibility on the part of the
government that they will take into account views from the public.
In a forum jointly organised by the Broga/Semenyih No Incinerator pro tem
committee and the New Era College's Community Service Student Initiative,
anti-incinerator activist Setsuko Yamamoto said Japan was home to more than
3,000 municipal waste incinerators and 1,000 more for industrial waste,
giving her country the dubious distinction of recording the world's highest
dioxin level. Dioxin is known to cause cancer and other acute illnesses
according to many scientists and health experts.
Her colleague Junichi Sato from Greenpeace said that based on the estimated
construction cost of RM1.5 billion for the Broga project, the operational
cost of roughly RM200 million per annum will be subsidised through
additional taxes.
Junichi also said that In Japan, a person pays for waste between RM350 to RM
650 per annum on average, and a family of four will incur between RM1,400
and RM2,600 a year. The figure could be higher after factoring in the
required spare parts and breakdown repairs.
The presentation of Setsuko and Junichi have confirmed our fear on both
accounts, i.e. grave health hazard and exorbitant cost. It's an irony and
also interesting to note that the world biggest incinerator in Broga will be
designed and built by a Japanese company, and the RM2 billion soft loan will
be also funded by the Japanese.
Malaysians must say NO now if we do not want to feel sorry tomorrow.
(26/3/2003)
* Ronnie
Liu Tian Khiew,
Selangor DAP Secretary and Shadow MPPJ Chairperson
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