Broga Incinerator Project Off

July 06, 2007 17:16 PM

Broga Incinerator Project Off

KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 (Bernama) -- The controversial RM1.5 billion incinerator project in Broga, Semenyih, Selangor has been finally called off by the government.

The cancellation was notified through a letter issued by the Attorney-General's Chambers to the lawyer representing Broga residents who had sued the government over the project, at the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya Friday.

It was signed by Senior Federal Counsel Suzanna Atan and addressed to Uma Parvaphy Thokhathri of the law firm Messrs Uma and Associates.

The letter read : "Untuk makluman pihak tuan, Kamar ini telah dimaklumkan oleh kementerian berkenaan bahawa projek yang menjadi subjek perkara kepada tindakan seperti di atas telah ditamatkan".

Translation: For your information, this Chambers has been informed by the ministry concerned that the project your party is disputing has been cancelled.

Uma said the letter dated July 5 (yesterday) was produced in Appeals Court 4, Palace of Justice in Putrajaya today just before the residents' suit was to be heard before it.

"This (letter) is confirmation that the government has called off the project," Uma said when contacted by Bernama.

"Therefore, my clients have instructed me to file a discontinuation notice within seven days," she added.

The Housing and Local Government Ministry also confirmed that the government had called off the project, However, the minister concerned, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting did not have immediate plans to give any statement on the matter.

"Yes, there is a letter that has been issued on the matter. However, the Minister (Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting) will not make any statement today as he is busy with a few meetings. You can publish the details in the letter," said Ong's press secretary Ng Kian Nam when contacted by Bernama.

The decision to call off the project was only known to the media today after the letter was produced in the court.

The hearing was originally scheduled to be heard at the Shah Alam High Court but as Judge Suriadi Halim Omar has been elevated to an Appeals Court judge, it was to continue to be heard by him.

Judge Suriadi later awarded costs to the residents.

Had the project materialised, the 1,500-tonne thermal incinerator would have been the biggest in the country. It was designed to reduce Kuala Lumpur's dependence on landfills for waste management.

The residents first filed a lawsuit against it in 2005 and obtained a temporary injunction to prevent work done on it from continuing further. However, when the injunction expired, work resumed causing the residents to file a second lawsuit.

The residents complained that they were not consulted about the project and that it also did not undergo Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

They said they feared for their health and environmental effects if it was to be built in their town.

-- BERNAMA