Save Malaysia Stop Lynas (SMSL) is outraged that despite two impending judicial reviews at the Kuantan High Court and an appeal case for judicial review in Putrajaya, the government proceeded to issue a temporary operating licence (TOL) to Lynas yesterday.
Tan Bun Teet, speaking on behalf of SMSL and angry local residents in Kuantan, said: “We are appalled by the government’s action. The government has lost the very last little bit of credibility left and may have acted in contempt of court as a result.”
The AELB claimed in its press statement that the decision to issue the TOL was because Lynas had fulfilled all of the technical and additional conditions set by the government and that Lynas would remove the radioactive waste from Malaysia. But no details were provided as to how Lynas had fulfilled these.
“Show us exactly how Lynas will remove its radioactive waste from Malaysia! How can the AELB expect us to accept this weak proposition when we know for a fact that Lynas has NO way of shipping its radioactive waste OUT of Malaysia legally?” asked Ram Ponusamy, a local resident who is concerned that the Lynas plant would ruin all that is nice about Kuantan.
The Western Australian government has clarified several times in the state parliament that it would not allow Lynas’ waste to be returned to the state.
Extracts from the WA official parliamentary record Hansard here.
Trans-boundary transportation of hazardous waste is controlled by the Basel Convention. It would be near impossible for Lynas to find a country willing to accept millions of tonnes of its waste. Besides, it would cost Lynas a lot of money if it tried to do that.
Haji Ismail Abu Bakar, a local resident who took the government to court over the TOL expressed his strong objection to the Lynas project: “Rare earth processing is highly toxic and polluting. Even if miraculously Lynas managed to find a safe and acceptable solution for its solid radioactive waste, what about our air? What about our water?”
“Who would choose to live near a world-scale rare earth refinery?” he asked.
Residents and concerned citizens could not accept that the government has bent over backwards to pave the way for a foreign firm that pays no tax to jeopardise an otherwise clean, beautiful and peaceful area with immense potential for tourism and a range of other businesses for local communities.
“We are now witnessing a government doing everything to ruin our future when its duty of care should be to prioritise citizens’ health, our investment and our environment. The government has just sent a strong negative signal to voters yesterday,” Ram commented.
The AELB has failed to manage the radioactive waste from the previous rare earth plant. AELB said ARE was safe then and it has left unknown amount of dangerously radioactive waste left unmanaged even till today. Now, the government has just repeated the same mistake.
“Lynas may think that with the TOL, it can do whatever it wants.” But SMSL reassures concerned Malaysians that the group will do whatever it takes to achieve the goals of its campaign.
“This is an undertaking from SMSL,” concluded Tan.
Okay everyone, let’s wait for the pro-Lynas propaganda boys to show up, including Looi boy.
This only shows of what the present regime is, they will promise
the people one thing but will do another that they stand to benefit.
Go Lynas!!
Tan But Teet … just wants to make money from t-shirt sales on his website.
I see the ignorant pro-SMSL already know they they will get bombarded by facts to counter the SMSL lies. SMSL tell lies to the community and it is up to the educated (me and others) to inform the community where SMSL is misleading the public.
Here is a classic example……
Above article mentions the Basel Convention
Basel Convention – This is the same Convention that also classifies Lynas material as non-hazardous. – this is how SMSL change the facts but doesn’t provide the whole picture. Its called cherry picking facts to suit the purpose.
Another issue…
The complainant asks who would live next to a rare earth factory???
Answer – no-one, that is why it is placed in an Kuantan Industrial Park with other industries which are also polluting, example, Petronas Refinery. The refinery pollutes way more than Lynas. This is a fact! Do your research and understand the waste streams of industries. Understand that industries are legally allowed pollute according to their license conditions. The same is for all other industries that pollute to the air, water and the land. i.e. waste water treatment facilities, waste to landfill (your rubbish that you put into the bin!) and coal-fired power plants who emit to air (industries and also vehicles).
Who would want to live next to a rubbish dump, or a coal fired power plant or a meat works or rendering plant? Answer = NO-ONE. So your comment is a stupid one bbsed on an obvious answer. It is like saying. Who likes dead babies. Answer = No-one
I think Justice should be requested by Lynas from the Malaysian community against them. Lynas have followed BOTH Malaysian law and rules and international rules. Its unfair that a few ignorant people have held this law abiding company to ransom. It is UNJUST!.
World experts in rare earth have applauded and labelled Lynas LAMP as worlds best standard.
Think of the technology transfer Malaysia will get, think of the development opportunities.
Any impact is minimal and it is managed according to the rules. The rules are developed over time by experts. A few fishermen and some provocateurs are not experts. They are opinionated and misguided. I know, I am an environmental activist, i want to see society reduce dependency on coal energy and focus better on solar and wind energy. But to do the later requires rare earths. Does SMSL understand this? For a better future and a cleaner and greener environment we need rare earths.
The SMSL are discovering the rules as they go, and almost all the residents in Kuantan haven’t heard of rare earth before Lynas, yet they use rare earths everyday. This shows a strong correlation to being a hypocrite.
Don’t compare Lynas to another company in 1980′s who use different material and illegal waste management, or compare to Chinese backyard operations which are also illegal.
Understand that this company is technologically advanced. They are not processing the 60-times more radioactive material (from Malaysian tin mining) by Mitsubishi in Bukit Merah. It is different, but SMSL make you think it is much worse and will kill you. They even likened the rare earth plant to a nuclear plant. What a bunch of idiots. If you are a follower of the SMSL and think the same… I feel sorry for you. Your future is already in jeopardy.
I would expect an ignorant pro-Lynas troll to reply to this with the usual NIMBY argument, based on emotion, ignorance and hypocritical replies. Baseless and lacking in credible facts.
I welcome your rebuttal.
Ah, there you are – another pro-Lynas propaganda boy …. from Australia or some other country outside Malaysia, I presume. What did I tell you? They would show up as soon as possible.
You can tell they are propaganda boys from how much time they spend here trying to counter the anti-Lynas campaign and to mould public opinion in Malaysia through their worthless comments while safely ensconced far, far away from Kuantan and probably beyond our shores.