PM: Audience with Kedah ruler has nothing to do with rare earth

 

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim today confirmed that he did have an audience with Kedah ruler, Sultan Sallehuddin Sultan Badlishah, together with an Indonesian businessperson, but clarified that it was just a courtesy call.

He said the courtesy call has nothing to do with the application for the businessperson to run a rare earth element (REE) mining activity in Kedah, as alleged by caretaker Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.

“The audience with the sultan has nothing to do with the REE issue. The sultan wanted to see me because of other matters, including a visit to the Royal Mausoleum.

“What has been the issue is the theft of the REE, the illegal mining by a Chinese company, so don’t spin it,” he told reporters after opening the Malaysian Commercialisation Year Summit 2023 today.

Prior to this, the media reported Sanusi as claiming that Anwar and the Indonesian businessperson had come to the state to visit the REE mining site before the 15th general election.

The businessperson, known as “Reza Khalid” was said to have a keen interest in investing and running REE mining business in Kedah.

- Bernama