Kuokuang Refinery Project

[Seiryu]

Warning: this thread will be politicised because of the similarities it bears with one other current issue. This thread serves as a platform to compare and contrast both the issues while centering around any common themes that you may find interesting to raise.

Got this piece of news from Taiwanese news portal, don't think anyone has posted it yet.

Basically there has been talks among our Prime Minister and Taiwan Minister of Economic Affairs to plant an oil refining and petrochemical production factory in Johor next year. The project is expected to bring in multi billion dollar investment into the country, with one major drawback: the project raises serious questions about environmental safetiness. Excerpt on environmental concern as follows:

[Corporations in Taiwan] had [initially] planned to build a naphtha cracking and petrochemical complex on coastal wetlands in Changhua County. The project was scrapped, however, after local residents and environmental impact assessment teams raised concerns that the complex would consume too much water and generate high levels of pollution in the ecologically sensitive area.

“Kuokuang has since been seeking a suitable overseas destination for its investment project, and Malaysia is a possible option,” Shih said.

Asked about the possible impact of such a move on Taiwan’s petrochemical industry, Shih said industry executives had agreed to focus on producing higher-quality petrochemicals at home and other petrochemical intermediaries abroad.

So it seems that our policy makers are welcoming international unwanted waste plants into the country. We seem to be moving towards becoming SEA's most prominent dumping ground.

To be very honest, I am rather disturbed by this talk. The obvious is whether the environmental consequences is really worth the return. If there is one thing that the Lynas brouhaha has showed, Malaysians have little tolerance towards projects that would cause environmental degradation. The more serious concern however, is with the priorities of the current government policy. The current coalition seems to be more concerned about keeping cash flows within the country green, at a rather dire cost. Seriously, is our government running out of ideas to bring money into the country that they have to consider such desperate measures?

Thoughts and comments welcomed.