Incinerator saga : Who is NOT telling the truth?

(fz.com) – Just two days ago, the National Solid Waste Management Department director general said the 1,000-tonne a day incinerator was still very much in the planning stages.

However, yesterday, after a deal between IHI Enviro of Japan and KUB Malaysia, it could be safe to assume that the incinerator may soon become a reality at the Taman Beringin Kepong waste transfer station.

IHI Enviro, a unit of the Japan’s third largest conglomerate  IHI Corporation, signed a deal with the Bursa Malaysia mainboard listed company KUB Malaysia “to form a strategic alliance to enable the former to participate in the various waste to energy future projects involving incineration plants in major cities in the country”.

To date, there are only four incinerators in the country – located in Langkawi, Pangkor, Tioman and Cameron Highlands,  none of which are major cities. But the deal signifies that there will be many more incinerators in the plans in the very near future.

The KUB-IHI Enviro alliance was witnessed by the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

It was his officer, in the form of National Solid Waste Management Department director general Datuk Nadzri Yahaya, who told fz.com just two days ago that only the tendering process has been done and unless the detailed environment impact assessment (DEIA) report clears plans for the incinerator, it will not come into being.

The Kepong residents have been up in arms since the government announced last year that it is looking at building an incinerator in Taman Beringin to solve Klang Valley’s garbage woes.

Residents have reiterated many times that the alleged RM800 million incinerator well on its way. From the information gathered, they say that this is just one of a series of four with each costing at least RM800 million nationwide.

Nadzri confirmed in not so many words that a DEIA is already being done for the Kepong one. (And as far as Malaysians can remember, there are almost nil government projects which have not been passed by the DEIA.)

Nadzri also said that the people need not worry for they will choose a greener technology, should they go ahead with plans for an incinerator. It was almost a confession, if one were to read deep into it.

A recent visit to the Taman Beringin waste transfer station showed that the operator, Alam Flora Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of public listed DRB-Hicom Berhad, claiming they too were not much in the know on the soon to arrive incinerator.

Alam Flora is not saying it out loud and clear – but insiders have shared they are definitely opposed to the incinerator. Of course, as Alam Flora will literally lose all their waste to the incinerator. And with almost no 3Rs practised, 90% of garbage will go right into the incinerator.

Surprisingly, Alam Flora has been very transparent with the Taman Beringin residents as to how the waste transfer station is run and has accommodated a number of meetings with those who are opposing the incinerator.

One can understand that Alam Flora is in a difficult situation – they cannot speak against the incinerator openly for fear they will lose the present contracts they have with the government. Insiders say they definitely cannot be for the building of an incinerator which might just shut down their waste transfer stations.

Checks have shown that it is unlikely the government will give Alam Flora complete management of the incinerator – as Alam Flora lacks in such expertise. Alam Flora claims no knowledge on the incinerator. Yet, it is likely Alam Flora is hoping for a small share, maybe even if it is only feeding the incinerators.

Another player in this is the Berjaya Corporation which runs the Bukit Tagar sanitary landfill, to where the waste from the whole of Klang Valley is dumped.

Nadzri claimed that Berjaya too had bid for the incinerator. Yet, Berjaya denied it.

Interestingly, KUB, the one that signed with the Japanese to build incinerators, and Berjaya had worked together to design, develop and operate Bukit Tagar under KUB Berjaya Enviro for the federal government on a long-term concession. (The company is a 60:40 joint venture between BCorp and KUB Malaysia Bhd.)

Now, if we were to hear the residents, Nadzri the DG, the minister, Berjaya and look at the two company alliance, the question would be: who is not telling the whole truth, nothing but the truth?

Why can’t the government come out and state it openly that the incinerator will be built and who the tenders have been given to? Does it fear another Broga? (In the case of Broga in 2007, residents of Semenyih fought tooth and nail and got the government to scrap the RM1.5 billion Broga incinerator).)

All this has become so mind boggling for the Kepong residents who are now caught in the middle, who for almost 15 years been losing sleep with the smell of rubbish in their air throughout the day. They fear that an incinerator might be built there in the blink of an eye and then they will not only have to smell the rubbish but also breathe in the poisonous gasses and by then, it will be too late.