The Federal Territories and Urban Well-Being Minister said this may be the best option to solve the problem of mounting garbage in the nation's capital, instead of forking out the whopping monthly fee of RM14 million for cleanup operations.
The minister neither confirmed nor deny plans to build the incinerator, but stressed the need to find a solution to the city's problem soon.
"We've got thousands of tonnes of garbage a day. Landfills are a problem because of leachate. What do we do? You want to put it in your house?" he told reporters after being pressed on the issue.
Yesterday, concerned residents who formed the Kuala Lumpur Against Incinerator action committee, sent in a memorandum to Parliament seeking the scrapping of the project over concerns that it would end up becoming a health hazard.
Committee chairman Isaiah Jacob said in a statement that the technology is not capable of completely eliminating solid waste, claiming that the process will still spew between 20 and 30 per cent of toxic materials comprising heavy metals, dioxins and toxic gases out of the solid waste.
He added that there is documentary evidence of health hazards suffered by residents in the United Kingdom and in Japan in areas that were within a five-kilometre radius of an incinerator.
Opposition lawmakers said the proposed incinerator project would be located in Jinjang, straddling the border of Kepong, Batu, Selayang and Segambut, and claimed that Putrajaya is expected to issue the tender for the new facility as early as January next year.
Tengku Adnan today said they have so far been unable to convince the public to practice recycling as a means to reduce solid waste, despite a recycling programme already in place under the urban wellbeing, housing and local government ministry.
He also faulted the public for not managing the amount of waste they generate, especially when it comes to food.
"Our problem is the food waste. I don't understand why people waste food, some people don't finish their food. Why? That creates garbage," he said, referring to unfinished food scraps.
"Eat what you can eat. If you look at food garbage, there are many people who don't have anything to eat but we are throwing food away.
"I tell you, in one day, the amount of garbage the people of Wilayah Persekutuan (Federal Territories) create is ridiculous... after this, we will go another step forward to educate the rakyat on how to handle their garbage, separating recyclable garbage and non-recyclable garbage," he said.
Tengku Adnan, meanwhile, declined to comment on the impending assessment hike for properties in Kuala Lumpur, saying that he will answer questions tomorrow after a meeting with the Umno Federal Territories liaison committee and government officials on the issue.
The public have been up in arms over the assessment hike, with rates increasing by between 100 and 250 per cent based on notices issued by DBKL.
Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Ahmad Phesal Talib last week confirmed that the assessment rates will be raised starting from January next year, but noted that they have yet to set the quantum of the hike.
Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Ministry secretary-general Datuk Adnan Md Ikhsan later said that the hike in property tax was needed to generate sufficient funds for City Hall to provide better services.
He said DBKL is estimated to have a surplus of RM217.7 million this year, but said that they could not use the surplus money.
--TheMalayMail
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