From 1 to 10, does Pakatan intend to open rare earth plants throughout the nation?


 

Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar has announced that Malaysia intends to develop the rare earth industry in several locations on Peninsula Malaysia as well as Sarawak. His announcement comes as a surprise and once again, Malaysians are left feeling disappointed.

Will DAP MP for Bentong Wong Tack who was strongly opposed against the Lynas plant, come up with the same anti-rare earth and spirit of the past and continue to resist till the end? He, who once threatened to torch the Lynas Advanced Material Plant (LAMP) had also claimed to resist its imports till the end. DAP Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change should come forward and express her Ministry’s position in the Dewan Rakyat, rather than maintaining elegant silence.

Prior to GE14, the position of Pakatan Harapan (PH) was to disallow any rare earth refinery from even appearing. They even promised to shut down the Lynas Advanced Material Plant (LAMP) should they win office. But now in power, not only has PH failed to shut the Lynas factory, it has also opened Malaysia’s doors with the intention of increasing the number of rare earth plants to 10 as a survey showed potential deposits found in Tanah Merah and Jeli in Kelantan, Baling and Kulim in Kedah, Kati, Trong and Grik in Perak, Muar in Johor and Simunjan and Sematan in Sarawak.

Highlighting that development of the rare earth industry could generate up to RM100bil of income for the Malaysian economy over the next decade, he informed that “the ministry is studying the policies and mineral legislation to develop rare earth element resources using the best and most sustainable mining practices.”

While rare earth refineries certainly may bring in investments, does Malaysia have the capacity sufficient enough to protect the safety of the 10 rare earth plants, health of residents and workers? Does Malaysia have the ability to handle the waste materials from the 10 rare earth factories after mining and processing are completed?

In the past, PH could not even tolerate one Lynas rare earth plant, claiming that LAMP would poison Kuantan residents. As PH intends to open at least 10 rare earth mining sites across the nation, does that not equate to poisoning our own citizens?

Dato’ Leong Kim Soon
MCA Publicity Bureau Deputy Chairman

-MCA online-