PM Najib: Gov't will shut down Lynas if found harmful (with VIDEO)

The government will not allow Lynas rare earth plant in Gebeng, Kuantan, to operate if scientific evidence proves that the plant is harmful to people’s health and the environment, said Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

“We will never compromise on that... the safety of Malaysian citizens will not be compromised,” he said during a live interview with Mandarin radio station 988 this morning.

Najib (left) stressed that the government needs to have dialogues with those who oppose the plant, but it must be done based on scientific facts instead of emotional and political arguments.

“A pure environmental issue has become a political issue, this is unfortunate,” he said.

The parliamentary select committee (PSC) on Lyans plant formed on Tuesday but boycotted by the opposition, is one of the mechanisms to gather scientific evidence related to the project, he explained.
 
Asked whether the government will be bound by the findings of PSC, Najib responded that the PSC is a “strong basis for us to make a decision”.

During the one-hour interview with the MCA-owned radio station, the premier also answered questions on the lack of teachers in Chinese primary schools, objections to the MRT alignment in Jalan Sultan, My First Home scheme, and other issues.

[More to follow]