PRESS STATEMENT
The Australian High Commissioner in Malaysia Andrew Goledzinowski said that the closure of Lynas will be a ‘tragedy’. I would like to point out to him that it will be a tragedy to the people of Malaysia, particularly the community of Kuantan if we turn a blind eye to pollution issues just to allow corporate gains.
The further threat by the High Commissioner that the closure of Lynas will result in a pullout of Australian investments in Malaysia is an insult to the intelligence and dignity of the Malaysian people.
I wish to stress that foreign direct investment has no relation to the pollution issue of Lynas. They are two different matters. Lumping them together is illogical, unfair and unreasonable.
In year 2013, 1.2 million Malaysians signed the petition calling for the closure of Lynas due to serious concerns of non- compliance to laws, regulations, international standards and good practices, non-transparency and highly questionable approval process, some of which are as follows:
1. Lynas did not comply with the directive of the Malaysian Cabinet issued in year 2012 to remove all their wastes, including products made from the wastes, out of Malaysia.
2. The people were not consulted prior to the approval of the plant. No public consultations were carried out except for two sessions by AELB out of an initial series planned which were hastily cancelled after facing angry opposition to the Lynas project and inability to convince the people to accept it.
3. Lynas and AELB did not provide or made public the detailed plan for the Permanent Waste Disposal Facility (PDF) including its intended location.
4. Lynas only did a preliminary environmental impact assessment when in Australia, Lynas would be required to do a full EIA, social impact assessment and a pilot plant.
5. Lynas has been granted a 12-year tax holiday which doesn’t make any sense. It’s has long been a known fact that rare earth processing industries generates massive amount of costly to manage radioactive wastes. The wastes left behind by Lynas will impose serious environmental, social and health costs burden on the local community and the Malaysian government.
6. Until today Lynas has not fully paid up the USD50 million security deposit required which should have been paid before the start of their operations.
Unfortunately the voices of the people have been blatantly ignored by the previous corrupt regime. This said regime has since collapsed on May 9th 2018. The current new government was voted in on an overwhelming mandate for reform. I am confident this new government is committed to fulfil their promises and the aspirations of the people, especially of the 1.2 million for I know the process of setting up the executive committee to investigate Lynas by the Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change (MESTECC) is already in the final stage and should materialize within days.
Lastly, I wish to reiterate that Malaysia may be a developing country but we will never resort to destroying our nation by being a dumping ground for foreign radioactive contaminated wastes nor subject our future generations to unnecessary health risks for whatever profits or gains.
WONG TACK
Bentong Member of Parliament
20 September 2018
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