Perak Pakatan leaders question Zambry’s RM9 bln project

By Wong Choon Mei

Perak Pakatan Rakyat leaders have slammed the RM9 billion iron-ore investment project announced by Umno-BN Menteri Besar Zambry Kadir, questioning its authenticity, safety and economic viability.

They warned the government not to give the go-ahead until after public discussion and stringent screening, especially as regards its impact on the state’s environment and the potential health hazards it could pose to the Perak people.

“We do not want Perak to be turned into another Sarawak, with a lot of white elephants and at the expense of the state’s natural resources,” PKR vice president Lee Boon Chye told Suara Keadilan.

“We are not impressed by the dollar sign or size of the project. After all, the Port Klang Free Zone is also a massive investment but ended being a waste of our taxpayers money. Only certain groups gained from the corruption in the project but Malaysians on the whole lost.

“What is important now is whether a project can advance the cause of modern society and Perakians as a whole. It must also be economically beneficial, environmentally friendly and not further devastate Perak’s natural resources.”

In a statement released on Thursday, Perak DAP chairman Ngeh Koo Ham confirmed that the project was originally discussed between Brazil’s Vale and the Pakatan administration but denied the deal was anywhere near confirmation. He described Zambry’s announcement as premature and misleading.

In particular, Ngeh questioned whether an Environmental Impact Assessment report had been completed and if land to set aside for the project had been converted for industrial use from the current tourism-use status.

“The Perak Pakatan Rakyat government has a policy to announce the implementation of projects only if it has been finalised and ready to take off as we hold firmly to our principle that the people must not be misled,” Ngeh said. “Many have lost money investing in lands surrounding projects announced by BN which did not materialise.”

No PKFZ or Sarawak-type white elephants for Perak, please

Perak is the second largest state in Peninsular Malaysia. A former tin-mining enclave, large tracts of its land still lie wasted by the industry, which is now in sunset due to the mineral’s excavation and depletion.

The state has also been plunged into political turmoil since Zambry’s Umno-BN coalition staged a coup d’etat in February this year, one of the reasons why the Pakatan could not evaluate the Vale project further.

On Wednesday, Zambry had announced that a South American multinational was poised to pour RM9 billion into an iron-ore distribution centre.

A further RM5.6 billion would be pumped in during phase two and three of the project, he added.

According to the Umno leader, a 1,300-acre site has been earmarked in Manjung. He also expects a total of 1,800 direct and indirect jobs to be created from this investment.

Said Boon Chye: “That is what he says but nobody knows the details yet. Until it is finalised and confirmed, we won’t know if it is really beneficial or harmful to Perak. Also, you can announce 9 billion or 10 or 11 billion, but will it be viable? Is there so much economic demand now when even crude oil prices are not as high as before because of the global slowdown.”

Meanwhile, financial analysts said the jobs creation announced by Zambry appeared low compared to the huge project cost.

“Frankly, this doesn’t sound like a very good project at all. It is not on the green list, nor will it advance the Perak people much - both in terms of jobs and skills. It is also a dirty business with a lot of pollution and waste materials involved,” said an economist at a large foreign bank.

“We hope that this is a responsible investment and not a political gimmick to win back favour with the Perak people. Definitely, they won’t appreciate projects like the Bakun Dam in Sarawak or the aluminium smelters parked there. These not only scarred the environment permanently but also produced only low and unjustifiable economic return.”

Sumber : Suara Keadilan