Has the BN government learnt its lessons?

Press Statement by Thing Siew Shuen, Environmental Officer To DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng on 13.7.2007

Public Interest Requires BN To Reveal The Amount Of Compensation Paid For Scrapping The Broga incinerator project And Whether Datuk Ong Ka Ting Would Fully Apologise To Malaysians for such an expensive lesson in poor planning and bad governance.

Public interest requires BN to reveal the amount of compensation paid for scrapping the Broga incinerator project and whether Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Ong Ka Ting would fully apologise to Malaysians for such an expensive lesson in poor planning and bad governance.

DAP is happy over the victory of the Broga No-incinerator movement which was initiated by brave and consistent Broga people 5 years ago. Although the Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib has denied their efforts, Broga people's courage in fighting for the right to a clean and safe livelihood is a shining example for other disadvantageous groups who are also fighting to reclaim their environment and livelihood.

After all the efforts to impose the RM1.52 mega incinerator project in Broga has failed, has the BN government learnt the expensive lessons from the price that they have to pay due to the lack of transparency, consultation and participation in decision-making? Furthermore, people are still kept in dark about the real reason of scrapping the project and why was a company chosen which has a bad reputation for safety tax evasion and corruption in Japan? Why was the site chosen when guidelines clearly provided that it should not be within 50km of populated areas?

When Najib told us that the project is scrapped due to the high capital and maintenance costs, it is absurd that such statement only be made to the public after the government has granted the contract to the contractor.

A news report said that government is in the process of negotiations with Japanese firm Ebara Corp, the contractor for the incinerator project, and its local partner, Hartasuma Sdn Bhd. How much is the compensation again, will be given to the contractors for the cancellation?

In the last 5 years, the government has tried everything to defend for their decision or protect the interest of foreign investor. They tried to convince people through news reports. Media were ordered to keep shut on the No-incinerator campaign, RM3.5million was spent on advertisements to promote incinerator, a series of scaremongering tactics have been used to oppress the local people and attempts to thwart the dissemination of information. Work was done on technical drawings, surveys and procurement arrangements; a little bit work has been done at the construction site which is very near to a water catchments area and a gazetted forest reserve near Broga.

Why now only the government realizes that the Broga incinerator system, which would cost more than RM1.5bil, was so expensive to maintain that no district council or municipality would be able to afford it? Why can't the government do a proper study and planning prior to all the hardship and suffering which has brought to the people?

Due to demands on existing systems of rubbish disposal and the failure of recycle campaign, it seems like the BN government has not given up their attempts to find another place for incinerator. DAP will not support mega incinerator projects that are costly, violate incinerator building guidelines, emit dioxins, other toxic chemicals as well as greenhouse gases. It is imperative for any democratic government to ensure that such projects are subject to public scrutiny and evaluation prior to their approval and implementation.

民主行动党秘书长环境事务专员邓晓璇于2007年7月13日在八打灵再也发表声明：

国阵应该基于公众利益，公布取消武来岸焚化炉计划后所做的赔偿；拿督斯里黄家定也应该向全体大马人道歉，因为差劲的规划及施政已经让马来西亚人付出昂贵的代价。

国阵应该基于公众利益，公布取消武来岸焚化炉计划后所做的赔偿；拿督斯里黄家定也应该向全体大马人道歉，因为差劲的规划及施政已经让马来西亚人付出昂贵的代价。

5年前，勇敢及坚强的武来岸人民地发起反焚化炉运动，行动党为这场人民运动所取得的胜利感到高兴。虽然副首相拿督斯里纳吉否认这是人民的胜利，但武来岸人民为清洁、安全环境而奋斗的勇气，对其他同是为环境及生活而斗争的弱势群体，是一个令人鼓舞的模范。

当国阵政府企图花费15亿2000万令吉，强行在武来岸建造大型焚化炉，最终却因政策决定缺乏透明度、咨询、人民参与而无法得逞，同时还必须付出昂贵的代价，国阵政府是否从中汲取教训？虽然事情告一段落，但人民依然不知道政府取消焚化炉的真正原因，许多问题依然没有答案，包括：为什么政府会发放工程给一个曾在日本面对逃税、贪污、污染环境指控日本公司？当建造指南说明焚化炉不得建在人口密集区的50公里内，为什么有关当局还会选择武来岸？

纳吉告诉我们政府取消焚化炉是因为成本及维修费太高，在发放工程给承包商后，才发表上述谈话是非常荒谬的。

新闻报道指出，政府正与承包这项工程的日本公司Ebara Corp及其本地合伙人Hartasuma Sdn Bhd洽谈赔偿额。这一次，政府又将因为取消工程付出多少赔偿额？

过去5年，国阵政府出尽法宝说服人民，为自己的决策辩护、保护外国投资者。媒体被下令不得报道武来岸反焚化炉运动，政府也花费350万令吉在报章上刊登广告宣扬焚化炉，政府也使用威逼利诱的手段，打压当地人民，阻止人民传播讯息。计划中焚化炉的建造地点靠近武来岸的集水区及森林保护区，其实已经动工，技术图测、调查及采购程序也已完成。

为什么政府到现在才发现耗资达15亿令吉的武来岸焚化炉计划非常昂贵，以致没有任何县、市政府有能力承担它的建筑及维修费？早知如此，何必当初，为什么政府不能一早进行研究及规划，而要让人民吃尽苦头、担忧受惊？

由于现有的废料处理制度先天不足，加上再循环运动失败，看来国阵政府还未放弃继续寻找适合的地点建造焚化炉。行动党在此声明，绝不会支持任何昂贵、违反建造条例、释放二恶英及其它有毒气体、温室气体的焚化炉计划。一个民主政府在进行类似发展项目时，在批准及执行前，必须让公开让公众进行审核及评估。