Pakatan Harapan leaders who campaigned against the Lynas plant in the past have praised the recent government announcement demanding the Australian mining firm to move its “cracking and leaching” facility abroad before July.
However, former Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh is worried that the permanent disposal facility (PDF) - which will store radioactive waste produced by Lynas since 2012 - will harm the health of Kuantan citizens.
“For the sake of the Kuantan people, the PDF must not be built in Gebeng, and it must comply with the best practice.
“(Radionuclides) in radioactive waste have a half-life of up to a billion years. Therefore, the structure of the PDF must last until the end of time,” she told Malaysiakini.
The deputy domestic trade and cost of living minister reminded Lynas not to practise double standards as waste was required to be sent back to the mine in Australia.
“In Kalgoorlie, Australia, they have to send the radioactive waste back to the mine, but when it comes to Malaysia, why do they want to continue to dump it in our backyards?
“We are not against rare earth (production) but we would like to ask, why the double standards?” Fuziah asked.
‘Historic day for anti-Lynas campaigners’
PKR MPs such as Lee Chean Chung (Petaling Jaya), Wong Chen (Subang) and Tan Kar Hin (Gopeng) supported the move taken by the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry.
Chean Chung posted pictures on his Facebook and lamented: “The struggle on anti-radioactive waste has been 12 years… (after) numerous memo submissions, protests, dialogues, forums even marches, we finally got some outcomes today.
“I know the government faces a lot of pressure from international political and business groups, but eventually the cabinet made a decision that respects public opinion.
“For those friends who went to protest, slept on the street or even went on hunger strike, I am really grateful. Those struggles were worth it!”
Meanwhile, Wong published three Facebook posts in a row to express his appreciation of the ministry’s decision.
“Some 13 years ago, my wife and I made several trips to Kuantan to join the anti-Lynas campaign…
“Today is a historic day for all anti-Lynas campaigners.
“Many of us are hopeful that we may finally have a government with the political will to deal with this grave environmental problem once and for all!”
Let’s rally behind minister
Meanwhile, DAP central committee member Lee Chin Chen urged the government and civil society to unite and support Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang’s difficult decision.
Support is needed so that Chang can withstand external pressure and carry through with his decision, the Bilut assemblyperson stressed.
“The government is formed by different political parties, including BN component parties which approved Lynas’ operation. Therefore, they might have disputes on this issue.
“People's representatives and NGOs that are against environmental destruction are obliged to support the minister. Make sure the cabinet takes their voices into account and helps the minister to complete a historic moment,” Chin Chen said.
The Pahang deputy speaker added that Malaysia had compromised by allowing Lynas to build a PDF, therefore Lynas shouldn’t insist on retaining the cracking and leaching facility.
Chin Chen also reminded the government to be careful when dealing with international companies in future, especially those which involve complicated international situations and may cause environmental harm.
It was reported yesterday that the government has renewed the operating licence for Lynas’ processing plant in Gebeng for three years, effective from March 3.
However, the licence was renewed with the same conditions imposed by the Harapan administration in 2020.
The key conditions include relocating the cracking and leaching facility out of Malaysia before this July, after which it will no longer be allowed to import lanthanide concentrate into the country. - Mkini
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