PETALING JAYA: Lynas has been granted a court date next week as it seeks to overturn a ban on the importing and processing of rare earths in Malaysia after July 1.
According to a report by the Australian Financial Review (AFR), Lynas’ case is scheduled to be heard on April 28.
The case is seen as a last-ditch attempt to ensure it can continue operations at its plant in Gebeng, Kuantan after July 1.
On Feb 14, Lynas’ operating licence in Malaysia was renewed for three years with no changes in the licensing conditions introduced in March 2020 that prohibited the importing and processing of rare earths.
Subsequently, science, technology and innovation minister Chang Lih Kang said the government may revoke the Australian company’s licence it if failed to comply with the conditions.
Chang said no one had the right to “continuously produce radioactive waste” in Malaysia.
Lynas has repeatedly defended the safety of its plant and warned that the imposition of the licensing conditions would result in the loss of jobs in Malaysia.
In the AFR report, Lynas CEO Amanda Lacaze was quoted as saying that the company would continue to operate its plant in Gebeng until the ban came into effect.
“We will run the cracking and leaching facility under any scenario until midnight on June 30.”
She said the plant would be shut down from mid-July for three months until a reliable supply of feedstock that complied with Malaysian law, was produced in Lynas’ Kalgoorlie plant in Perth.
The feedstock will then be sent to Malaysia for final-stage processing.
Rare earth is used to make electronic equipment, batteries, super magnets and other sophisticated equipment. - FMT
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