Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has challenged Kedah caretaker menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor to prove his claims regarding Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and an Indonesian oil magnate.
This came after Sanusi alleged on Tuesday that Anwar had brought the oil tycoon to Kedah to seek approval to mine in an area that contains rare earth resources.
Saifuddin said Sanusi should produce evidence to back his claims, just as he had shown letters that purportedly link Sanusi to suspects in the theft of rare earth elements (REE) at the Bukit Enggang forest reserve in Sik.
“He can prove it if he dares - either a photo or an application letter.
“I challenge Sanusi: Just as I have shown you have written to the home minister (at the time Hamzah Zainudin); I have the letter. You know (the suspect); I have the photo.
“He must show it: When did (the tycoon) ask for it? When did Anwar bring (the tycoon) to see you? Please do tell,” he said during a ceramah in Sungai Petani, Kedah, based on a video of his speech.
Malaysiakini is withholding the tycoon's name pending his comment, and the suspects' names pending their comment or formal charges being laid.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin claimed to have called Anwar just before the ceramah to ask about Sanusi’s claims, and the prime minister dismissed Sanusi’s assertions as nonsense.
He said Anwar and the tycoon had come to Kedah to have an audience with the sultan at Istana Anak Bukit.
“They went back after the audience,” he said.
Sanusi v Saifuddin
On Tuesday, in response to Saifuddin’s ongoing attempts to link him to the theft of rare earth resources, Sanusi had claimed that Anwar brought the Indonesian tycoon to Kedah before parliament was dissolved last year.
“Someone contacted me a few weeks before the state assembly was dissolved, saying that the Indonesian man wanted to give (me) hundreds of sacrificial cows.
“I didn’t accept it because the state election was around the corner. I was afraid that the cows would be a bribe, so I didn’t accept them.
“(Previously), I kept thinking... Then I remembered that the Indonesian man came (to Kedah) with Anwar and met many people to tell them that he wants to apply to mine (at the REE area),” he claimed.
He said he has no qualms about allowing anyone to apply to mine REE in the state, but they must use the right channels to bring returns to the Kedah government and its people.
Sanusi had previously threatened to sue Saifuddin for linking him to the theft of REE in Sik. Still, Saifuddin is standing by his claims and told the ceramah last night he will make further revelations at a press conference today.
Saifuddin also told the audience that if Pakatan Harapan and BN win the Kedah election, the new state government will work with the federal government’s Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Ministry (NRECC) to come up with guidelines to mine REE and mobilise state-owned enterprises to exploit the resource for the benefit of the people.
“With the income, we can help the ordinary rakyat – single mothers, the elderly, the disabled the poor. For the successful children of Kedah, we will give scholarships until Kedah becomes a great state in terms of its human capital.
“That is the way to use natural resources for prosperity,” he said to an applauding audience.
Developing REE resources
Efforts to develop Malaysia’s REE resources started at least as early as 2021 under Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration, which saw the formation of the National Mineral Council (MMN) and the adoption of the National Mineral Industry Transformation Plan 2020-2030.
The MMN was tasked with, among others, coming up with procedures for exploiting Non-Radioactive Rare Earth Elements (NR-REE).
In May this year, it was reported that the government plans to develop a National Mineral Policy within three months under a standard operating procedure for REE mining. He also noted that Kedah has the most extensive NR-REE resources among the states.
NRECC Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad told Parliament in June that Malaysia has some 16.1 million tonnes of NR-REE worth about RM809.6 billion, which underscores Malaysia’s potential as an exporter of the valuable resources essential for manufacturing a range of high-tech devices.
These are located mainly in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Sarawak, Selangor, and Terengganu.
However, attempts to mine these minerals frequently draw criticism from environmental groups, who voice concerns about the impact of mining activities, its byproducts, and the solvents used to extract the minerals from the soil. - Mkini
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