Recently our deputy prime minister commented that we are good at building first-class infrastructures but poor at maintenance. How true!

We are more interested in the publicity that goes with the launching and opening of big buildings complexes but neglect the nitty-gritty maintenance part.

If we cannot even maintain an ordinary building complex properly, can we be trusted to maintain a high-tech incinerator ? The theories and technicalities of how safe such incinerators can be are of no use if compliance with strict maintenance procedures cannot be guaranteed. What we can expect is that for the first few years, everything will be fine and then those in charge will lax for one reason or the other.

Before we decide on whether we should have the incinerators, we should look at how we manage our waste now. Already people are complaining about leaking rubbish trucks which create strong stench wherever they go. I am sure those trucks are meant to be without leaks yet due to poor maintenance or careless workers, they created new problems while solving old ones. Then we have the recycling campaign which has yet to show any real progress in terms of facilities and educating the public.

We have also the infamous lowly loo which we can never seem to improve on, because of lack of civic consciousness. Any mismanagement of the loo and there is only smell but mismanagement of the incinerator may send us to hell. The dioxin can cause us to "die of sin" but unfortunately, only the innocent will be affected while the real decision makers will be laughing all the way to the bank.