Opponents of the controversial multi-billion ringgit incinerator proposed in Broga - currently awaiting the Department of Environment's (DOE) approval - are banking on Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's sense of priority to halt the project.

Semenyih/Broga No Incinerator residents action committee protem chairperson Prof P Ramasamy said the new PM appears to favour projects that serve the basic needs of the rakyat .

"We really hope Pak Lah will shelve the incinerator project. From what we've heard so far, he is more inclined towards smaller-scale projects placing priority on those that directly benefit the grassroots' needs," he said when contacted today.

"He's also spoken about recycling although he has yet to mention the incinerator proposal."

He said there was enough literature available detailing the hazards of incinerators worldwide, including the latest research findings from Europe, the US and Japan - a country that hosts thousands of incinerators with a record-high level of dioxin emissions in the world.

Meeting sought

Ramasamy noted that Abdullah seemed more focused on basic people-oriented development and agricultural activities.

"We certainly hope he will see the futility of pursuing the incinerator proposal which does not benefit us in the long-term and which poses a serious financial strain on our economy," said the university lecturer.

"Malaysia is still not over-populated, so there is no urgency to build such a costly facility anywhere in the country just because the government feels stumped in handling the increasing volumes of household garbage.

"We agree that waste management is crucial, but the government should address it in a rationale manner such as intensifying the recycling campaign using a people-friendly approach and alternative waste management methods," he added.

The Broga committee has stood firm against the incinerator project ever since it was relocated from Puchong, a densely-populated suburb on the fringes of Kuala Lumpur, following a threat to vote in the opposition.

The 1,500-tonne plant, estimated to cost the country RM1.5 billion, would be designed and built by controversy-ridden Japanese engineering giant, Ebara Corporation, which won the contract last February. Ebara has denied the allegations.

Committee member N Segeran said they have been trying to meet Abdullah but their attempts have proved futile.

"Previously, we submitted a memorandum to former PM (Dr Mahathir Mohamad) detailing the grounds of our protest and concerns from the residents most affected by the project. But despite repeated attempts, we failed to get an appointment with him.

"Now, we are trying to meet Pak Lah. We handed and e-mailed him a letter recently with the hope of meeting him to air our grievances but we haven't anything since then," he said.

Despite attempts to dialogue with the project proponent, the Housing and Local Government Ministry, Broga residents have continuously been, and still are, stonewalled by federal and state ministers.

'Project is bad'

Abdullah's recent policy decisions, including one that shelved the controversial multi-billion ringgit north-south electrified double-tracking railway project, has raised more than just eyebrows.

Segeran said the residents were hoping that Abdullah would be able to see that the incinerator project also deserved to be scrapped as the huge sum would be sourced from government coffers.

"The project is bad for Malaysia's environment, public health and economics. There are better alternatives and Pak Lah's administration should seriously consider those, especially recycling, because these have been successfully done in poorer countries like India and the Philippines.

"As we had pledged before, our committee is prepared to do a pilot on alternative waste management methods if the incinerator project is stopped."

Determined to stop the project by any means, the residents have also initiated legal action.

The DOE is expected to release the final report on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) which international scientists severely criticised as being inadequate and lacking in-depth analysis, by the end of the month.

Mahathir had even tacitly endorsed the proposal even before the EIA study was completed.