Why waste RM1 billion?

Press Statement by Tan Sri Dato' Seri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun (pix)
1. I refer to the article "Minister denies Bukit Tagar landfill remark, says neutral over waste disposal methods" (The Malaysian Insider, 10 July 2014) wherein the Minister of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan denied having spoken to me, nor having met with the management of the Bukit Tagar sanitary landfill over the proposed Kuala Lumpur incinerator project.
2. The article seems to suggest that the Minister has sought to exert pressure on me and the Bukit Tagar landfill management to refrain from making statements on the Kuala Lumpur incinerator project. I wish to confirm that the Minister has not met me or spoken to me, nor with the management of the Bukit Tagar sanitary landfill on the Kuala Lumpur incinerator project and any suggestion otherwise is entirely baseless and incorrect.
3. Notwithstanding, I feel the government ought to reassess its plan for the Kuala Lumpur incinerator project as the existing waste disposal facilities including the Bukit Tagar sanitary landfill which has been in operation since 2005 is effectively managing the disposal of Kuala Lumpur's and Selangor's waste.
4. The Bukit Tagar sanitary landfill has approximately 120 million tonnes capacity and can cater to disposing the total waste generated in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor (of around 5,000 tonnes per day) for over 65 years. Currently, Bukit Tagar only manages Kuala Lumpur's 2,500 tonnes of waste per day and at this level the Bukit Tagar sanitary landfill can last for over 130 years.
5. Since we already have an adequate sanitary landfill to take care of Kuala Lumpur's and Selangor's waste for the long-term, in my view the government should not spend the estimated RM1 billion to implement the Kuala Lumpur incinerator project.
6. Instead, the RM1 billion should be channelled to the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) to further develop and improve the standard of football in our country. The standard of football in Malaysia at international level has been on the decline for many years now. Long gone are the days when Malaysians revelled at the footballing skills of the late great Mokhtar Dahari, Soh Chin Aun, R Arumugam and Santokh Singh, just to name a few of our football veterans. Malaysians held their head high when their national team was playing on the regional and international stage. Something must be done to revive our standing in the football world. We are a football loving nation and I believe we have many talented youngsters who can aspire to the highest levels of football if given the opportunity to do so.
7.About 30 years ago, Japan was a novice in international football, while Malaysia and South Korea were basically on par. Today, Japan and South Korea have progressed by leaps and bounds and are now far ahead of us having participated in numerous World Cup competitions including Brazil 2014 where they were two of the 32 footballing nations who made it into the Group Stage. Japanese and Korean footballers are making waves in the international arena and the major European soccer leagues. Sadly, Malaysia has not made the same progress despite our better standing in the early years. I believe we have the talents and expertise to bring about changes to our nation's football fortunes with the appropriate programs and monetary support to carry it through. Programmes can be designed to tap footballing expertise from the European and Latin American countries with excellent footballing credentials like Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Colombia, Croatia and Bosnia. For this purpose, football academies can be set up in all the 13 states in Malaysia to undertake intensive training and to promote such programmes and exchanges with these countries. If we set up football academies where our young talents can be spotted, developed and nurtured, there will come a time when Malaysia can again become at the very least an Asian football powerhouse.
8. Malaysia is fortunate to have an effective, stable and purpose-driven government led by our dynamic and visionary Prime Minister, YAB Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak, supported by an able Cabinet. The fact that the government decided not to proceed with the Broga incinerator project in 2007 after considering all the relevant issues proves that our government is capable of making the right decision when it is properly advised and provided with all the facts.
9. In the present case, I believe that the government may have been misled by certain quarters with their own agenda in promoting the Kuala Lumpur incinerator project. It would seem that these groups have no regard for what is in the best interest of the nation. Apart from safety and environmental issues, the incinerator project will drain our foreign reserves as most of the equipment and components will need to be sourced from overseas.
10. The government should reassess the incinerator project objectively without undue influence from these groups and obtain feedback from all stakeholders before making any definitive decision. Otherwise we may see history repeating itself when something like RM100 million was paid as compensation to the equipment suppliers and contractors when the Broga incinerator project was called off. I hope our government will not make the same mistake again.
11. The government has done an excellent job in conceiving the Bukit Tagar sanitary landfill as a regional landfill for the Klang Valley and supporting it to become the premier and a showcase sanitary landfill in the country. Since its inception the Bukit Tagar landfill project has won numerous local and international awards for its management and operational excellence and its commitment to environmental preservation. Bukit Tagar was designed and developed to provide a long-term waste management solution for both Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, and I strongly believe this fundamental objective is effectively achieved by Bukit Tagar without the need for the Kuala Lumpur incinerator project.
12. Why spend RM1 billion on an incinerator project and have it end up as a white elephant. Why not instead invest that RM1 billion to build football academies throughout Malaysia to develop, improve and nurture the footballing skills of our Malaysian youth so that one day they may again bring Malaysia to the forefront of international football and that will certainly put a smile on the face of every Malaysian.
13. I and Berjaya Corporation wish to express our sincere thanks and gratitude to the government for giving us the opportunity to build the Bukit Tagar landfill and for their continuing support which has made this project successful. Whilst I feel I must point out what I believe would be a mistake by the government should it go ahead with the Kuala Lumpur incinerator project, I wish also to record my sincerest thanks and appreciation to the government under the leadership of our Prime Minister YAB Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak and his Cabinet colleagues for the continuing support and encouragement they give to Malaysian businessmen to grow and excel in their fields of endeavour to become world beaters.
14. Under the stewardship of our former Prime Minister YAB Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad, many Malaysian business organizations were given many opportunities to grow and innovate and many have built successful businesses which are today the envy of even the more developed countries. Over the last 30 years I and my Berjaya Group of Companies have received our share of opportunities from the government which has helped us grow to become the diversified conglomerate that is Berjaya Corporation today. I am forever grateful to YAB Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad and the government of Malaysia for the opportunities which I have received. The present government under the leadership of our Prime Minister YAB Dato' Sri Mohd Najib bin Tun Abdul Razak continues to support this policy of growth and innovation which augurs well for the future development of corporate Malaysia.
15. Malaysia has been good to me and my family and I wish to give back some of my good fortune to help our less privileged Malaysians. We have and will continue to give back to the community through my own Better Malaysia Foundation and the Berjaya Cares Foundation.

Note: The concessionaire/operator of the Bukit Tagar sanitary landfill project is KUB-Berjaya Enviro Sdn Bhd which is 60% owned by Berjaya Corporation Berhad and 40% by KUB Malaysia Berhad.