Two opposition parties are drumming up support in and around Broga, the backwaters earmarked for a much-contested 1,500-tonne municipal solid waste incinerator project.

Two top PAS leaders have touched base with the Broga residents, a Chinese-dominated township near Semenyih, in under two months.

PAS vice-president Dr Hasan Ali, who was in Broga on Sunday night, described the visit as "very good".

The Parit Buntar MP, who is also the Sungai Burung (Selangor) state representative, said about 300 Broga villagers, 80 percent of them Chinese, had turned up to meet him.

"The people were very responsive. This was our second visit to Broga over this (incinerator) issue, following the visit of party president (Abdul Hadi Awang) last month," he said when contacted.

PAS to help

Most of the residents are fruit farmers, run small-and-medium-sized businesses or are academicians, given the proximity of the area to several public and private universities.

Hasan said PAS would help residents to secure funds to pay their legal costs as well as to raise the issue with other quarters.

"We will hold another meeting before launching our Selangor manifesto after Parliament is dissolved," he said.

"We will certainly review, and probably scrap, the incinerator project if we come to power. That is our promise as contained in our state manifesto."

Last month, Abdul Hadi visited the village to find out more about the protest against the proposed incinerator project that is estimated to cost an initial RM1.5 billion to build, and another RM200 million to maintain per year.

Malaysia engaged Ebara Corp, a controversial Japanese engineering company, to design and build the plant touted as the world's largest to use that country's zero emission technology.

The government has chosen to remain mum over the issue, particularly the source of funding, but it is currently undergoing environmental evaluation.

"Our purpose is to listen to the villagers. They are very unhappy with the (proposed) project. It would be good if we can represent them in the state legislative assembly and Parliament," said Hasan.

"They said their elected representatives (from Barisan Nasional) have failed to raise their protests at state and parliamentary levels. These representatives did nothing more than two years and have only recently sort of agreed with the residents."

Led by the Semenyih/Broga No Incinerator pro-tem action committee , the residents have sent numerous memoranda, protest notes and appeal letters to state and federal leaders, including Beranang state assemblyperson Ahamad Kuris Mohd Nor.

Hassan said he sensed that a new movement is growing at the grassroots level, now that the residents have seen for themselves the interest and support shown by top opposition leaders.

"All this while, the residents had felt alone. But when they met with several PAS MPs and state assemblypersons from outside their areas, they realised that there was firm support," he said.

If PAS wins the seats in and around Broga, he said, the party's anti-incinerator drive would include a joint programme between Hulu Langat and Semenyih in Selangor, and Lenggeng and Seremban in Negri Sembilan.

'Hold public inquiry'

DAP national chairperson Lim Kit Siang, who visited Broga on Saturday night, heard listened to residents' complaints that were centred on a blackout of the issue in the print and broadcast media.

Given that Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi ( photo ) has asked to hear the truth from the grassroots, Lim said it was ironic that the protests are being silenced by the government-controlled media.

"There is no way for the people to tell the PM the truth with a media blackout," he said in a statement issued following his visit.

"Not a single reporter was present. I was informed that reporters were invited but that they told the organisers there was no point because the subject was taboo and would not be published even if they filed it (the report)," Lim claimed.

He said this proved that although Abdullah was "a good, clean and decent leader..., the system that has spawned such abuses and injustices has remained intact".

Lim called on Abdullah to hold a public inquiry into the stifling of the free flow of information involving the protests against the incinerator project.

"He should ascertain who is responsible for imposing the media blackout, whether it is Housing and Local Government Minister Ong Ka Ting ( photo) or the Selangor government," he said.

More importantly, said Lim, Abdullah should issue a clear directive to immediately lift the 'gag' and demonstrate his pledge of wanting to hear the truth.

He said the PM should also identify the taboo subjects that lead to a media blackout and whether this is "as a result of self-censorship, or due to overt or covert directives from the government".