A group of residents from Broga, the site of a mega-incinerator project, has lodged a complaint with the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) regarding a media blackout on the issues brought up by them against the project.

In the letter of complaint addressed to Suhakam commissioner Prof Hamdan Adnan yesterday, the residents from Kampung Baru Broga expressed their concern that the media was ordered by the authorities not to publicise their efforts.

"Now we understand that the media is controlled...," the residents said in a statement, of which a copy was made available to malaysiakini today.

The residents lamented that the media has not given coverage on their activities since they filed a court case on Nov 8, 2003 to seek more information on the incinerator, which was shrouded with mystery.

They said that although they had informed and invited all news organisations about their events, nothing was published in the media.

"Not having our voices heard by the public is worrisome, because the government might think that we have accepted the incinerator project," said the residents.

They also wanted to know from Suhakam on what should they do and whether they had the right to seek justice over the matter.

When the mega-incinerator was first mooted to be built in Kampung Bohol, Puchong, residents there also complained about a media blackout on their campaign.

Nevertheless, their protest forced the government to relocate the incinerator to the present site in Broga.

Major events not covered

Since the beginning of this year, the Broga residents, through the Semenyih/Broga No Incinerator residents action committee, had organised a press conference whereby they invited representatives from several NGOs to jointly highlight their concerns over the project.

They had also sent a memorandum of protest to the Beranang state assemblyperson Ahmad Kuris Mohd Nor and had entertained a visit from Terengganu Menteri Besar Hadi Awang who was there to hear the plight of the residents.

All these events were not covered by the media, they said.

The proposed RM1.5 billion incinerator, awarded to Japanese company Ebara Corp, is scheduled to begin operations in 2007.

The 1,500 tonne-capacity plant, said to be the largest of its kind in the world, is the subject of stringent protest from locals living in the 25 residential areas near the site.

The residents have been lobbying for the proposal to be scrapped, citing latest research findings from Europe and Japan that drew the link between the hazardous nature of dioxin and other toxic emissions from the incineration of household wastes, and public health risks.

The Broga incinerator proposal has drawn flak from international scientists who said that Malaysia was moving backwards by considering to build a giant incinerator when the reverse trend was true in advanced countries.