LYNAS Corp’s Malaysian operating licence will be retracted if the Australian rare-earths mining company fails to begin the process of developing its permanent disposal facility (PDF) within the first year of the extension of its operating licence, Khairy Jamaluddin told the Dewan Rakyat. 

“Lynas has to start the process of developing the PDF in a suitable location in the first year since the extension of its licence,” the science, technology and innovation minister said today. 

The licence was earlier this year extended by the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) in March.

The Rembau lawmaker added a Radiological Impact Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is currently under way.

“If Lynas cannot begin the process for constructing a PDF within a one-year period since the decision of the  extension of its licence was made, that is, in March 2020, then, yes, Bakri, the licence can be retracted,” he said in response to a supplementary question from his predecessor in the ministry, Yeo Bee Yin, who is also Bakri MP.

Yeo had asked Khairy on his opinion about whether the conditions laid down by Pakatan Harapan were far more stringent than that of the BN government when it comes to the firm’s operations. 

Lynas’ operating licence is in effect until March 2023.

Its previous licence expired last September, and Lynas was initially given a six-month extension.

It was reported in January that the Pahang government had agreed on a site for a PDF for waste produced by Lynas’ processing plant in Gebeng.

Lynas secretary Andrew Arnold was quoted as saying that the site is more than 30km north of Kuantan, in a remote area in Bukit Ketam near Pahang’s border with Terengganu.

The PDF will handle water leach purification (WLP) waste from the plant. – July 16, 2020.