A group of residents from Broga, located about 40km south of Kuala Lumpur, today submitted a memorandum to the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) appealing for its intervention in the controversial siting of a RM1.5 billion mega-incinerator near their homes.

About 10 of them from Broga and nearby areas of Semenyih, Beranang and Kajang, with a total population of about 80,000, came to the Suhakam office and handed over the memorandum to its complaints and inquiry working group chairperson Prof Hamdan Adnan.

Accompanying Hamdan was investigations officer Abdul Nasir Hadi.

The delegation also comprised members of the Broga/Semenyih anti-incinerator action group set up on Dec 1 by residents who opposed the proposed project which was relocated from Puchong, on Nov 21 due to intense pressure from the locals there.

24-hour relocation

In raising the issues in the memorandum, the group's pro tem chairperson Halil Hussain said that pending the commissioning of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study by the government, the media coverage indicated that the project will proceed immediately.

"We have yet to be briefed on the proposed project and no one is bothered to talk to us although we are the affected residents," he complained, stating that the size and siting of the plant were among their main concerns.

"The selection of our area as the alternative site happened within 24 hours, and we only got to know about the decision to relocate the plant to Broga from the newspapers.

"We do not know where to go for help or who to talk to. The Selangor Menteri Besar's office has been in touch but nothing is forthcoming."

Stressing that the incinerator was an unplanned development, he said "there was nothing mentioned of it during a mid-year briefing last year by the state assembly representative for Beranang, Ahmad Kuris Md Noor, when he was talking about the five-year plan for the area".

Ahmad Kuris could not be reached for comment.

Halil argued that the residents were taken by surprise at the federal government's move and are waiting for further information on the proposed project funded through a Japanese soft loan.

He said that looking at research material and media reports, there were too many contradictory statements made by politicians and government officials, which has made them more worried.

He also said that they were willing to consider smaller alternatives to the giant plant which has a life span of 20 years, provided that pre-treatment of waste is done before burning.

Water and chicken meat supply

Resident of Bandar Tasik Kesuma, Edmond Low, said the siting of any such incinerator in Semenyih was detrimental to the most of Klang Valley's water supply because it was within the major water catchment network of Hulu Langat.

"There are also two huge chicken farms in Broga. This may result in dioxin-contaminated meat for our consumption."

He said the high risk posed by the plant, touted as Asia's largest, on the water catchment area and the chicken farm has not been highlighted by any newspaper.

"They only report that everything is good about the incinerator. "These include contradictory statements in the Chinese papers," he said, citing Japanese news sources of two years ago which stated that more than 4,000 incinerators were permanently or temporarily shutdown.

"If the authorities maintain that the incinerator is not dangerous, then why relocate from Puchong to Broga overnight?" he asked pointedly.

Broga appears to be quiet and peaceful, with fresh air and greenery, surrounded by hillocks and forest reserves which form part of the water catchment around the Semenyih Dam. The dam is a storage facility mainly for supplying water to the Klang Valley.

At the end of the two-hour meeting with Hamdan today, the residents were given the assurance that Suhakam will do its best to arrange for a dialogue between them and the relevant authorities after identifying the government agencies involved.