Residents of Broga are elated over the government's decision to scrap the controversial RM1.5 billion mega incinerator project.

Some 20 of them, who were at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya this morning, had unfolded a banner outside the courthouse which read:

" Sudah 4 tahun perang, akhirnya sudah menang, hati sudah senang, tidur pun tenang " (After a four-year battle, we have finally won. We are happy now and we can sleep well).

Met later, Broga No Incinerator committee head Zulkefly Mohamad Omar said the residents were relieved by the cancellation of the project.

He also expressed gratitude to the NGOs, media and lawyers who have supported their cause.

"I hope the incinerator will not be relocated elsewhere as it will bring potential health hazards to the people," he said, adding that today was a 'historic day' for the residents.

'Come a long way'

Also present was resident Alice Lee, who filed the suit against the government in 2003, demanding full disclosure of the project

However, the residents decided to discontinue with the suit today following a letter from the government, dated yesterday, informing them of the cancellation.

The outspoken Lee, whose story to oppose the mega project had been featured in an award-winning independent film, said the residents have come a long way to obtain justice.

"We were discouraged at the beginning to fight the case since people said we are not highly educated like the residents in Puchong... but we must fight for our rights," she told reporters.

The mammoth project was relocated to Broga in November 2002 after residents in Puchong mounted a massive protest campaign including threatening to vote for the opposition.

Another resident, businessman David Quee, 53, said he can now "sleep tight."

"My house is just 2km away from the site where the incinerator was proposed to be built and we were so worried because we know the problems associated with this project," said the father of two.

The incinerator project, touted as one of the biggest of its kind in the region, was undertaken by a consortium comprising Japan's Ebara Corporation and local partner Hartasuma Sdn Bhd.

Residents had protested against the project on the grounds that it posed a serious threat to their health, the environment and their livelihood. They also challenged the merits of the proposed technology from Japan.

BROGA INCINERATOR: Victory at last!