‘Pengerang plant to cause life loss of 34.5 days’

A Taiwanese professor has pointed out that the Kuokuang petrochemical plant is detrimental to human health.

KUALA LUMPUR: The proposed Taiwanese-owned multi-billion Kuokuang petrochemical plant to be built in Pengerang, Johor may cause an average life loss of 34.5 days in the population, claimed a DAP parliamentarian.

Bakri MP Er Teck Hwa said the assumption was based on findings made by a Taiwanese professor Jhan Jhang-Cyuan in 2008 when a similar project was proposed in Taiwan.  According to Professor Jhan, such a plant can cause an average life loss of 23 days in the population.

He said given the scale of the Pengerang project, which covers 1,476 hectares and is 1.5 times larger than the one proposed in Taiwan, it is very likely that it can pose a major health hazard to the local residents.

“The government must explain why a project which a Taiwanese professor said may cause average life lost of 23 days is adopted in Malaysia? Do we want our people to lose 34.5 days of their life?” he asked.

Kuokuang Petrochemical Technology Company, a state-owned oil refiner, had wanted to build a similar plant in Taiwan in 2005, but abandoned it following public protests.

Last month, Kuokuang obtained a detailed environment impact assessment (DEIA) approval from a consultancy firm, as they moved closer to building the plant in Pengerang International Petroleum Complex (PIPC).

This morning a group of Pengerang residents submitted a petition protesting against the plant to the office of the Taiwan President, Ma Ying Jeou, said Er.

They appealed to Ma to scrap the project as residents living within the radius of 200km of the proposed site would be forced to relocate. They also said that the project will not only have a negative impact on their livelihood but may also contaminate the water catchment area.