23 July 2019

Press Statement by MCA Publicity Deputy Chairperson Dato’ Leong Kim Soon

From opposing to endorsing rare earths processing? Wong Tack, Yeo Bee Yin please explain

Pakatan Harapan has always missed the point when it comes to Lynas and rare earths. Before coming into power, Pakatan swore to oppose rare earth refineries till the end of time, unwilling to accommodate the single Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) operating on our soil. Now, they go head over toes to keep Lynas here, and even go as far as planning to turn rare earth mining into a main industry.

Dear YB Wong Tack and YB Yeo Bee Yin, have your beliefs changed so radically that you somehow surmise that the generation of revenue now takes precedence over the health and lives of the people?

I’m speaking about the fact that the Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry is currently studying how to take advantage of the discovery of rare earth deposits in several states and develop them into a new source of wealth.

We can no longer afford to dwell just on the topic of Lynas when the government is already busy licking their fingers counting the exact amount of money that could be found in opening up rare earth mining to outside investors.

I am curious if the green-activist-slash-Bentong-MP and the Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment & Climate Change plan to object when the Pakatan government decides to exploit the rare minerals? The two of them had in the past provided plentiful inputs on how baneful such activities are towards the health of the people. With the federal mandate in hand, between government wealth and the lives of many, how will they choose now?

Between your offices and your principles, which comes first? Do not attempt to bloviate your answers, beat around the bush, and pretend that there is a way to get the best of both worlds because there is none when it comes to choosing between preserving the environment or exploiting it in the name of progress.

Dato’ Leong Kim Soon

MCA Publicity Deputy Chairperson

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