The best Chinese New Year
gift for the Broga people who want to live in a healthy and safe
environment without incinerator
Media Statement
by Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew
(Petaling Jaya,
Tuesday): The
interim order of stay granted by the Shah Alam High Court judge Datuk
Suryardi Halim Omar yesterday marked as a timely victory for residents
affected by the proposed world’s largest incinerator in Broga, Semenyih.
The learned judge’s decision
has effectively stop the land acquisition exercise launched by the local
land office in June 2004 and all other proceedings pending the disposal of
the main application initiated by the effected Broga residents.
The Broga residents have
decided to seek a judicial review from the high courts under the advice of
the DAP as an effort to stop the building of the RM1.5 billion incinerator
on the pretext of protecting public interest. An originating summon was
filed with the Shah Alam High Courts on Nov 8, 2003. The residents were
represented by Counsel Uma Parvathy Thothathri and legal advisor Jeyapalan
Mahesan.
DAP has many good reasons to
support the fight against incinerator. We went against the project when it
was originally earmarked for Puchong. We certainly do not want it to be
moved to an invaluable water catchment area like Broga, Semenyih. The party
does not agree to build an incinerator of this nature in any part of the
country because incinerators were outdated, expensive, impractical and
dangerous. It is not the best way to manage municipal solid waste.
Malaysians have many other better options, such as sanitary landfills,
Refuse Derived Fuel technology and recycles exercise.
Incinerators are giant
cancer factories. In many countries, people living in the vicinity of
incinerators have been suffered from cancers and all sorts of other serious
illnesses. These countries were now forced to dismantle their incinerators
by stages in order to save the environment and human lives. There is no
reason for Malaysia to jump into these death traps. People everywhere now
automatically link incinerator with dioxin, a highly poisonous toxin. The
newly elected Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko was once poisoned by a
little dose of dioxin. In six months, the little dose of dioxin has ruined
his face for the rest of his life.
Several memorandums submitted
by the DAP and the Broga people have reached the hands of Prime Minister,
Housing and Local Government Minister and the Menteri Besar of
Selangor for many months now. If they care to read the memos, they should be
able to see the truth presented by the people and make the right decision.
(15/2/2005)
* Ronnie Liu Tian Khiew,
DAP International Secretary and NGO bureau chief
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http://dapmalaysia.org