With logic laid to waste over Lynas, MP wonders about 'dark secrets'

The BN administration might have allowed rare-earths producer Lynas Corp to operate in Malaysia due to greed and being dull-witted but it is beyond logic for the current leadership to continue endorsing wrongdoings, rued DAP lawmaker Wong Tack.

“Unless there are some dark secrets with the Lynas deal that the people don’t know of?” he said in a statement this afternoon.

If this is the case, the Bentong MP said, the government must share the details so that a solution can be found together.

“As the rakyat of Malaysia Baru, the people deserve to know the reasons if we are forced to swallow Lynas' toxic radioactive wastes and subject our children to so many risks,” he added.

He was responding to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's statement yesterday that the government is waiting for Lynas to come up with a plan to deal with their waste.

Wong said it defied logic as to why the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) and the Department of Environment (DOE) allowed Lynas to operate and generate over a million tonnes of radioactive wastes over the past seven years without a waste management plan.

“In our country, authorities will not even allow a house owner to move in if the house doesn't have a toilet,” he pointed out.

Over the past eight years, Wong said, the people have repeatedly voiced their objection to Lynas and argued their case with facts and evidence.

Therefore, he said if the Pakatan Harapan government decides to provide Lynas with a licence to generate more radioactive waste, it must put forth a detailed explanation, supported by facts and figures, to the people.

“Tell us how much is our country making out of Lynas? What are the future earnings expected?

“Please also show us the details of your environmental accounting analysis especially the quantification of the long-term environmental consequences, costs to remediate contaminated sites as well to as manage and maintain Lynas radioactive dump after they are long gone.

“Is the deal on Lynas just about money or is there something else?

“This information is vital in order for the people to evaluate whether it is worthwhile to sacrifice so much - our children’s wellbeing, environment, a big chunk of our land and national dignity, to keep Lynas here,” he added.

In a related development, Reuters reported that Lynas is conducting preliminary work on a waste-disposal facility for its Malaysian plant, which is due to renew its operating licence in September.

Lynas said it awaited formal notice from the government on the conditions required for renewing its operating licence. - Mkini