The Kuala Lumpur Rejects Incinerator Action Committee (KTI) is questioning whether the government's public consultation process on the Kepong incinerator project was a sham to create the false impression that local residents do not oppose it.

KTI chairperson Isaiah Jabob told a press conference this morning that he had received a phone call from a purportedly National Solid Waste Management Department (NSWMD) official informing him that the  affected residents had already been consulted on the project.

The official apparently told him that the NSWMD had invited residents of three People's Housing Projects (PPR) to the consultation session, namely PPR Intan Baiduri, PPR Taman Wahyu and PPR Taman Beringin.

NONEHowever, when Isaiah (right) queried the response to the sessions, he was told that only residents from PPR Taman Beringin had shown up.

"This project will affect over 100,000 households in the Klang Valley. The department should not only consult three residents of three PPR projects, but also invite all residents to a dialogue" he said at the press conference.

In addition, Isaiah said he believes that PPR residents would not likely dare to oppose the incinerator because they rented their public housing homes from the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

"Perhaps if they opposed, they would be evicted... When the authorities consulted PPR residents, are they just creating a false impression that the residents were consulted and did not oppose the incinerator?" he asked.

He slammed the consultation process as a mere formality to allow the government to claim in parliament that the residents are not against the project.

The Kepong project is located next to the Taman Beringin Solid Waste Transfer Station along the Kuala Lumpur Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2), and is slated to process 1,000 tonnes of garbage per day.

KTI committee member Lai Yak Guan said according to the Federal Town and Country Planning Department's guidelines on incinerators, they must be located at least 50 kilometres from main development areas and the Kepong incinerator would be in violation of this guideline.

He added that even if the incinerator uses advanced technology as the government claims, the release of poisoning dioxins in the incineration process is still inevitable.

KL, a cancer factory possibility

NONEIn addition, he said, the incineration of plastics, batteries, chemicals and heavy metals would also release toxic fumes.

"Once this incinerator is built, the whole Klang Valley will be affected. We don't want Kuala Lumpur to become a cancer factory," he said.

The committee also announced that its ‘Mega Rally' against the project has been postponed to 4pm Nov 23 from its original Nov 24 date.

Isaiah said this is to allow more time to prepare for its ‘Mega Walk' on Nov 25 morning, from the rally's starting point atTaman Metropolitan to the DBKL's headquarters and Parliament House.

He believes some 5,000 to 10,000 people would participate in the rally on Nov 23, adding that police had already been notified about the event in accordance with the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.

As for the Mega Walk, which will start at 7am, he said the group will arrive at DBKL at around 10 or 11am, reaching parliament at noon.

He intends to submit a petition carrying100,000 signatures to the prime minister, ministers, the mayor, and 11 MPs representing Kuala Lumpur constituents.

He called on the public to support the campaign by purchasing campaign T-shirts for RM15 each, and avoid displaying political party logos during the event and the protest because it is a national issue and not one that is political.

"No matter what technology, model, or contractor they use, to date, there is no 100 percent safe incinerator in the world," he said.