BENTONG MP Wong Tack today said it was regrettable that the Prime Minister’s Office had seen fit to release a list of frequently asked questions about rare earth mining company Lynas.
 
Wong, who is strongly opposed to the Australian company’s practices in Malaysia, said that it was disappointing that the PMO should act in such a manner to defend Lynas.

“Previously we have seen certain ministries flying here and there, interfering in matters not within their purview,” Wong said in a statement.

“To our surprise, we now see the same thing from the PMO. This is an insult not just to the Ministry of Energy, Science, Technology, Climate Change and Environment (Mestecc) but to the PMO as well.

“Nonetheless, I personally do not believe that our honourable Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad would allow his good office to be degraded into a sales office and his officers relegated to become the mouthpiece of Lynas.”
 
He added that action must be taken against the officers who have abused and humiliated the highest office of the country.

“It is obvious their actions were intended to legitimise the operations of a foreign corporation, who over the years had failed to comply with our laws, rules and regulations.

“I urge the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) to step in to investigate the officers involved for possible abuse of power or corruption.”

Wong is among the activists, some of whom are in the Pakatan Harapan administration, who are opposed to the government’s decision to allow Lynas to continue operating in Gebeng, near Kuantan, in spite of what they said were the environmental and health risks that came with the company’s activities.

They accuse Lynas of reneging on its agreement to remove radioactive waste and that it is now forcing Malaysians to accept the two million tonnes of hazardous byproducts.

On August 15 Putrajaya agreed to renew its licence to operate in the country for six months subject to its meeting several conditions.

On Wednesday, the PMO issued a Lynas FAQ, in which are also listed the consequences of ejecting Lynas. It said non-renewal of the operating licence would cause more than 600 Malaysians to lose their jobs, enable China to continue monopolising the export of rare earths, and hurt Malaysia’s image of being favourable for long-term investments.

The 14-point infographic citing information from Mestecc said government agencies and experts have found that the Lynas plant operations in Gebeng were controlled and safe.

It said Lynas had met all the requirements of the authorities as well as the international standards for health, safety and the environment.

It also explained that Lynas was compelled to move its cracking and leaching process overseas so that it would no longer generate radioactive waste in Malaysia.

Lynas must also identify a site for a permanent disposal facility in six months or obtain the permission of another country to to ship its waste there. – September 6, 2019.