13 February 2020
Press statement by MCA Publicity Deputy Director Dato’ Leong Kim Soon
Renewed! Lynas licence for 3 years : DAP Ministers have flogged their principles
The 6 DAP Cabinet Ministers must confess: When Cabinet on 12 Feb 2020 had agreed in principle to extend the operating licence of the Lynas Advanced Material Plant (LAMP), did the former maintain elegant silence or support the decision?
What is the actual position of DAP Bentong MP Wong Tack who won himself into office on the pretext of being an environmentalist and his “shut down Lynas” calls which earned him support from the rakyat?
Prior to being swept into power, DAP leaders including its 6 Cabinet Ministers had heavily criticised the Lynas refinery. There were allegations that Lynas would jeopardise the safety of the residents should it explode. Ironically, upon entering the Cabinet, a decision has been reached to extend the Lynas operating licence.
Whether DAP gave its tacit approval or remained stoically silent at the Cabinet meeting on 12 Feb 2020, it is clear that Rocket has either u-turned or shelled its earlier stand on the Lynas issue. DAP must come clean to the majority of voters who supported them on the Lynas issue, as to what exactly their stand is.
Do the 6 DAP Ministers not feel any shame as to their protests and actions prior to the 14th general election where they shouted all sorts of alarmist warnings to capture ballots, but after the polls, they now subtly betray their principles.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad has declared that the Cabinet decision is final, which means that no matter how much DAP leaders express their opinions outside the Cabinet, such utterances carry no weight. The most important thing was that they should have voiced their opposition.
On 16 Aug 2020, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq divulged that the government giving its nod to renew the operating licence of Lynas was a collective decision by the Cabinet where no objections were raised. With the three-year licence, were DAP Ministers either mute in the Cabinet or were in support of Lynas’ continued operations?
Dato’ Leong Kim Soon
MCA Publicity Bureau Deputy Chairman
-MCA online-
