Letter: MITI must listen to the people of Kuantan on Lynas

By Fuziah Salleh, MP Kuantan

22 Apr 2011

MITI must listen to and engage with the Kuantan public in deciding the fate
of Lynas plant.

Much as I applaud MITI’s decision to put LAMP on hold while an expert review
panel is formed, MITI must know that it is the Concerned Citizens of
Kuantan’s  wish that the Lynas plant to be stopped altogether.

Currently we have no rare earth processing plant outside China. We do not
have a world benchmark and certainly we do not wish to take China lax
practices or standards regards rare earth processing as our benchmark.
There’s too many reports written by experts from all over the world, on the
dangers and hazards of rare earth processing.

Moreover, we do not have a best practise method in the processing of rare
earth as a guideline, compared to  processing methods of other chemical
plants.

Thus, there is no way we can prove Lynas’s claims on the green technology
that they are going to use. I continue to assert my position that MITI
should shelve the idea of issuing operating license to Lynas indefinitely.
In pursuance to that may I  suggest that Lynas set up a ‘pilot’ processing
plant in Mt Weld Australia itself. Lynas must provide our panel of experts
with the ‘Proof of Concept’ before we can consider anything that Lynas wants
to offer here in Malaysia.

At the same time the Concerned Citizens of Kuantan demands that the panel of
experts include names that are reccomended by the public and the Citizens of
Kuantan will certainly monitor and scrutinise closely the next plan of
action by Miti as well as  the Government of Malaysia.