A group protesting the planned Taman Beringin incinerator is appealing to the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) to intervene in the matter, stating that the proposed site for the incinerator does not adhere to the federal government's own guidelines.

Citing the 1997 guidelines published by the Town and Country Planning Department under the Urban Well Being, Housing and Local Government, the Kuala Lumpur Rejects Incinerator Action Committee (KTI) stated that an incinerator that incinerates up to 400 tonnes of waste a day must be constructed at least 50km away from main development areas.

NONE However, according the KTI chairperson Isaiah Jacob ( left ), the proposed site for the Taman Beringin incinerator in Jinjang is located just within a three-kilometre radius from residential areas, comprising almost 1,000 houses.

"Even (smaller) ones are incinerating 20 to 100 tonne (of waste) per day, they (operators) can't even handle them properly," said Jacob when submitting a memorandum to Suhakam at the latter's office in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

He further cited the 2012 Auditor-General's Report which revealed that the country's failure to maintain the four current incinerators was due to lack of expertise in operating them.

"There is a lot of problems. So how can they (handle) 1,000 tonnes a day?" he questioned.

The committee also estimated that at least a 1,000 lorries would be needed to ferry waste to and from the incinerator site, which could cause a major traffic disruption at the location, which is closely situated to heavily-used Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2).

They further expressed concern that combustion of garbage could lead to health problems such as cancer, asthma and disabilities in children being born due to the release of hazardous gasses rich in mercury, lead and other chemical compounds.

March to Parliament on Monday

Jacob claimed that KTI were neither informed nor consulted about the project and only learnt of it from the announcement made by the ministry to the media.

NONE Petitions submitted to the mayor to set up a meeting between the residents and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), he further alleged, did not receive any response despite two attempts.

KTI also said it will be organising a rally at Dataran KIP, Jalan Seri Utara, Selayang this Saturday.

Originally planned at Dataran Taman Tasik Metropolitan, Kepong, the revised venue was arrived at after a meeting between committee members and the police.

DAP parliamentarians Tian Chua, William Leong and Ong Kian Ming are expected to be present.

Not stopping there, next Monday the committee will also be marching from Taman Sri Murni to DBKL and then onwards to Parliament to hand over a memorandum to the council as well as Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Urban Well being, Housing and Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

Meanwhile, Suhakam commissioner James Nayagam, who was present yesterday, said the commission will schedule a site visit within the next few weeks and will also try to organise a meeting between the affected residents and related agencies.