Despite widespread political support it has been receiving from Pakatan members for its cause, anti-incinerator group KTI is left wondering and "disappointed" with Kepong MP Tan Seng Giaw of DAP for not being with them.

 

KTI was formed by Kepong residents to oppose the incinerator set to be constructed near Kepong.

 

Its chairperson Isaiah Jacob ( left, in photo ) in disclosed that Tan, one of the longest serving MPs in Malaysia today, has not responded to various invites extended by KTI.

 

"We have done our part, we have extended our invitations, we have many MPs and assemblypersons  supporting us, but our own MP has not come out to be with us," he said today.

 

Tan is now serving his eighth term as the Kepong MP, having been first elected in 1982.

 

KTI however expressed its surprise at Tan for going along for an "official visit" sponsored by the government to Japan to visit the incinerators in Tokyo.

Not impressed

KTI said today that they themselves were not impressed by the Tokyo model for incinerators, pointing out that air pollution in Japan has deteriorated due to burning of plastic materials.

 

"The KTI’s stand is that it rejects the Tokyo model for incinerators," said KTI's media coordinator Lam Choong Wah, the only one from the KTI committee to have gone on the official trip to Japan.

 

Lam ( left ) said that the group had studied the after-effects of incinerators in Japan, and based on research done by Japanese NGOs, pointed out that air pollution, or dioxin levels in the city centre, had increased drastically to dangerous levels since 2007.

 

Lam also expressed concern about the "excessive heat" that an incinerator generates, which can increase temperatures by one or two degrees celcius.

 

"In Japan, they have winter, so the extra heat can be used. What about Malaysia, do we need that?" he asked.

 

He also questioned the cost, as having an incinerator would cost the country around RM500 for each tonne of rubbish compared to the RM50 to RM70 it spends currently with the landfill system.

 

Meanwhile, Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming, who was also at the briefing, said that Japan had suspended four incinerators in the past four years alone, due to "mercury poisoning concerns".

 

"Despite all their efforts to segregate waste, Japan still is facing these problems," Ong pointed out.

 

Japan has one of the highest incinerator counts in the whole world, hosting over 1200, but at the same time had seen many incinerators closed down due to health and environmental concerns.