ENERGY, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin has deferred her trip to Western Australia, where she was expected to discuss rare earth miner Lynas Corp’s removal of radioactive waste from Malaysia, said a ministry spokesman.

The trip was scheduled for today, where Yeo was due to meet Western Australia Mnister for Mines Bill Johnston to discuss the state’s willingness to receive the waste.

The Malaysian Insight was made to understand that the postponement was to give ministry officials “more time to prepare and speak to various stakeholders”.

Johnston had last month ruled out the possibility of shipping Lynas’ radioactive waste back to Australia, telling The Australian newspaper the state has laws ruling out such a move.

Lynas mines its rare earth ore from Western Australia.

The meetings in WA would have also discussed ways to manage the low-level radioactive residue produced by Lynas at its rare earth processing plant in Kuantan.

The question of the radioactive waste removal could stand in the way of the Australia-listed company’s renewal of the operating licence for its processing plant in Kuantan.

The licence expires in September.

Putrajaya had in December set conditions for Lynas , the only significant producer of rare earths outside of China, to remove its waste before it would renew its operating licence.

Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced last month that Lynas must carry out the early stage processing of its rare earths ore in Australia.

Those early stages produce radioactive material that is now the source of controversy for the company.

Lynas’ shares have plunged by more than 30% since December following news that the Kuantan plant risks closure.

In December, the plant was temporarily shut down after failing to secure government approval to increase output. – June 20, 2019.