Anti-Lynas group shocked by secrecy

This time, the anti-Lynas group takes a political stand saying it was time to vote the ruling government out for ignoring the people's objection to the Lynas plant.

PETALING JAYA: The Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) group today said it was appalled by the cloud of secrecy surrounding the arrival of rare earth ore at the Kuantan Port yesterday.

In a statement, SMSL’s spokesman Steve Hang said that the shipment runs against Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd and the Malaysian government’s promise to be transparent on the matter.

Yesterday, about 100 containers of rare earth ore arrived at Kuantan Port and is scheduled to be sent for processing at the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) located in Gebeng, Pahang.

The shipment, which arrived at midnight, was guarded by heavy police escort.

Lynas confirmed that it would start its operations in the “coming days” despite an on-going legal battle in the court.

Last month, the Kuantan High Court lifted the suspension on Lynas’ operations. However, it would still hear judicial reviews on getting the plant to stop operations.

Kuantan resident G Ram also said in the statement it was deplorable that police escort was provided for Lynas, while the authorities turned a deaf ear to Malaysian taxpayers’ objections to the plant.

“Deploying public-funded police force to escort Lynas that pays no tax is an insult to injury. When a government goes to this level, we, the rakyat, have no choice but to vote it out,” he said.

Fellow SMSL spokesperson Tan Bun Teet said that a responsible corporation would wait until the court clears the case before starting its operations.

“It’s obvious that Lynas is so desperate that it had to ship the minerals in haste and in total secrecy. Which reputable and respectable corporation will go that low?” asked Tan.

Tan vowed that SMSL would fight harder to rally people’s support, local and international, to get Lynas out of Gebeng.

“We will also campaign to the rakyat to vote this government out and we will target Lynas’ funders and customers in our campaigns,” he said.