Rawang Against Incinerator Network
21 Ogo 2023
Batu Arang as part of the National Geopark, has fragile geological features, and it is not suitable for extensive development, including the construction of large buildings.
Public opposition to the proposed Loji Sisa Tenaga Sultan Idris Shah Green Energy Plant (SIS) is growing stronger day by day. Selayang parliamentarian William Leong Jee Keen also joined the chorus. Leong even suggested for the project to change its location to go near to the residence of Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari and Putrajaya.
He said as the amount of garbage in Klang valley rises daily, the traditional landfills are already overwhelmed. However, there is no concrete reason for Selangor state government to implement the incinerator near to residential areas.
"I would like to give my opinion, not that I don't want to have incinerator, but it must be built at a place with no residents, houses and factories.
"When we said we do not want incinerators, they will say let us try it here. YB Chua [Rawang state assemblyperson Chua Wei Kiat] and I already [told them] let's try at other places, try it at the residence of Menteri Besar, one in Putrajaya, one in Shah Alam."
Leong made the statement when attending a briefing on SIS for the Indian community in Batu Arang yesterday. Also present at the event were Chua, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) Deputy Chairperson S. Arutchelvan, JRTI Coordinator Liow Yeong Lih, Dr. Lam Choong Wah, Media Director of Kuala Lumpur Rejects Incinerator Action Committee, and Wong Yuen Mei, member of Broga-Semenyih No Incinerator Protem Action Committee.
Chua was on the same page with Leong. He said although the incinerators in Cameron Highlands and Langkawi are "failures," whenever the government wants to launch a new project, they always claim that the project will be a success.
As for this project, Chua said the government has highlighted that it is a high-tech plant that can turn waste into energy. "But for me, it is not suitable [to build] to be close to residential areas," added Chua.
At the same time, Arul urged Batu Arang residents to be united and fight together against this project to stop garbage from the entire Selangor to be dumped here.
Arul also asked everyone to practice 3R- Reduce, Reuse, Recycle- to show that Batu Arang does not need SIS.
Meanwhile, Wong, shared with residents her research findings comprising two significant points:
1) About 600 m from the proposed site, there is a settlement of 350 Indian families. The settlement started during British colonial time when the coal mining company brought in 11 Indian families to work at the coal mines.
2) The geological features of Batu Arang, including the proposed site, Lot 3847 is one of the twenty geoparks, of the Geopark Gombak-Hulu Langat (GHL), elevated to National Geopark by the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources since December 2022. The evaluation committee has conducted studies that ascertain its fragile geological features, and it is not suitable for extensive development, including the construction of large buildings.
Caption 1: (Fourth from right, front) Chua Wei Kiat, William Leong, Liow Yeong Lih, S. Arutchelvan, and Wong Yuen Mei are in Batu Arang to brief the Indian community here about the proposed Loji Sisa Tenaga Sultan Idris Shah Green Energy Plant.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/12BsVKJbYtg5blEN-pO2z7qpXGcL0rK20/view?usp=drive_link
Caption 2: William Leong Jee Keen suggested for the project to change its location to go near to the residence of Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari and Putrajaya.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uXVlBWVlId_hDWiZgfcB-AKtMrW5RcKl/view?usp=drive_link
Caption 3: Chua Wei Kiat said whenever the government wants to launch a new project, they always claim that the project will be a success.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jBMShKN-XsaCs7UU6bl0Gw009gP5cIP9/view?usp=drive_link
Caption 4: Wong Yuen Mei stated that Batu Arang as part of the National Geopark, has fragile geological features, and it is not suitable for extensive development, including the construction of large buildings.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EJXavREXPD4GVSLxJl5P8kyx8227cF1s/view?usp=drive_link
Caption 5: About 600 m from the proposed site, there is a settlement of 350 Indian families and the settlement started during British colonial time.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18Jso9MgExGv7Z4FshSmxAKHc-0ompdrm/view?usp=drive_link
Caption 6: The proposed site Lot 3847
https://drive.google.com/file/d/17WWiafMdOyiq9FhJ9DN_K9fZP2XoRMXk/view?usp=drive_link
Caption 7: Batu Arang as part of the National Geopark, has fragile geological features, and it is not suitable for extensive development, including the construction of large buildings.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MIKztkdvXwZyhGVD-9AAw0tYrmogr8a4/view?usp=drive_link
Caption 8: Batu Arang as part of the National Geopark, has fragile geological features, and it is not suitable for extensive development, including the construction of large buildings.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/18GpwLQaHR8NAnyW8a3FCGBkYQIt2f1d8/view?usp=drive_link