I can understand the anxieties of our fellow Malaysians over the Broga thermal treatment plant, more so those staying around the proposed site. But what beats me is the presence of foreign groups, including the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA), opposing a Malaysian project that protects the health of Malaysians.

Waste management is an integral part of the urban infrastructure around the world. In particular, sustainable waste management that manages waste in a way that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Thermal treatment is part of the integrated solid waste management system, which is sustainable waste management. As a progressive country, Malaysia chooses to manage waste by using advance methods and technologies. I don't see anything wrong in that.

So why are these foreign groups protesting against a Malaysian project that's good for our country? What has it got to do with them? Are their protests really helping us? I wonder what their agenda are. They don't live here and endure daily the bad effects of unhygienic waste management like offensive open dumps swarmed by scavengers and vermin, leachate contaminating ground water, and threat of disease outbreaks. I see nothing wrong in our government adopting proper waste management that results in better quality of life for all.

Open dumps also remind me of the tragic Payatas dumpsite collapse in the Philippines a few years ago that killed many people. The Philippines has banned incinerators.

We must recognise that the risk of a similar tragedy exists in other developing countries, and they include Malaysia, where waste disposal problems exist. The Payatas disaster underscores the need to abandon open dumping and the value of integrated solid waste management. I say let's proceed with modern waste disposal methods.