NEGRI Sembilan rare earth element (REE) resources was estimated to be valued up to RM30 billion, said Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun.

He said the state government was ready to start mining REE, and the Minerals and Geoscience Department has identified potential mining areas in the state.

“It could be worth up to RM30 billion, which is only an estimate. We will look into the need to set up a one-stop centre to ensure the safety and control of REE.

“We will follow the federal guidelines and standard operating procedure (SOP) as well as the Perak government’s way of implementing REE mining. We will detail the SOP … before the end of this year,” he said after chairing the state executive council meeting in Seremban today.

Aminuddin said royalty payments and land status were other issues to be considered before the state government starts mining REE next year.

Earlier, Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad Minister reportedly said Negri Sembilan could perform initial REE exploration based on existing SOP for rare earth and mineral mining. – Bernama, October 4, 2023.