MEDIA STATEMENT
4 May 2021
What is the function of the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB)? To enforce the law to protect the wellbeing of the people or are they there to bend laws to protect the interest of corporations?
From day one until this moment, for almost ten years, Lynas has failed to comply with their licence condition with regards to their permanent disposal facility (PDF).
Nine years ago, Lynas’ licence condition required them to determine the PDF location. Lynas failed to comply. AELB has not only kept a blind eye on Lynas’ non-compliance but they imposed the same condition again seven years later when Lynas was due to renew their licence.
It is so obvious that all this years, the AELB has bent backwards to provide Lynas a lifeline.
The chronology below is self-explanatory.
1 Feb 2012 – The AELB said that Lynas must submit the location and plan of the PDF which must be approved, within ten months from the date of the Temporary Operating Licence (TOL). Fail to do so, Lynas’ licence will be revoked.
2 Sept 2012 – Lynas’ TOL was issued for a period of two years.
2 July 2013 – The ten months deadline was up. The PDF location was not identified but Lynas was allowed to continue to operate.
15 August 2019 – The AELB again set the same condition that Lynas was required to identify a specific location to build the PDF within six months. Fail to do so, licence will not be renewed.
30 January 2020 – Lynas announced Bukit Ketam as the site for their PDF.
12 February 2020 – Maketab Mohamad, a water quality expert warned that Bukit Ketam is a water catchment area.
2 March 2020 – Against warnings by Maketab, NGOs and the people, the AELB went ahead to bulldoze through the issuance of a three years licence for Lynas.
16 July & 4 August 2020- Khairy Jamaluddin told parliament that Lynas must begin constructing its PDF by March 2021, failing which Lynas’ licence will be revoked.
28 April 2021 – It was reported by the media that the AELB has extended the deadline for Lynas to begin constructing their PDF for another six months, until Sept 2.
I’ve asked this before and I’ll ask again. What are the dark forces behind Lynas?
There were revelations recently that former minister Yeo Bee Yin almost got sacked for imposing new conditions for Lynas’ licence renewal.
Is Khairy facing similar pressures?
WONG TACK
Bentong MP
