C4 said reporters were barred from covering the meeting yesterday while only six out of about 80 attendees were allowed to voice objections, with the rest denied the opportunity to speak.

The group also criticised executive councillor Borhan Aman Shah, who chaired the hearing, for barring the media, saying it reflected a lack of transparency.

“The Selangor government’s decision – to bar the media from covering the proceedings due to alleged concerns of ‘manipulation’, and to make it a closed-door event with a limited number of attendees allowed to speak – unfortunately reveals a wider problem.

“The state government does not understand its responsibility to facilitate public access to information and participation in policy development,” it said in a statement.

C4 urged Putrajaya to ensure proactive transparency was a feature in its Freedom of Information bill, saying public information should be easily accessible without the need for formal requests.

A group representing Rawang residents had planned to raise the proposed construction of a waste-to-energy incinerator plant in Batu Arang, Gombak, at the hearing.

The RM4.5 billion project will be built by KDEB Waste Management Sdn Bhd and YTL Power International Bhd.

Residents in nearby areas fear that the emission of dioxins, a group of environmental pollutants that are often by-products of waste incineration, would lead to health risks.

C4 said that till this day, the project’s environmental impact assessment report has yet to be published for public scrutiny. It also bemoaned a lack of engagement with residents since the project was announced.