Tag: people

Najib Razak’s condemnation of the people’s anti-Lynas movement during his speech in Lanchang, Pahang a few days ago is a display of total arrogance and disrespect.

Over the past 7 years, millions of Malaysians have came forward in droves to voice their legitimate concerns of the irreversible harm the toxic radioactive Lynas plant is going to cause to our land and wellbeing of our future generations.

How could a nation’s leader remained so close minded, ignorant, irresponsible and heartless on an issue close to the people’s hearts? From day one, his response on this massive national issue has been only two words, “It’s safe”.

His claim that IAEA has proven Lynas to be safe is a blatant lie. Since Lynas started operation in Sept 2012 until today, Lynas has not complied with :

1. the IAEA’s recommendation (1) that says “The AELB should require Lynas to submit, before the start of operations, a plan setting out its intended approach to the long term waste management, in particular management of the water leach purification (WLP) solids after closure of the plant, together with a safety case in support of such a plan.”

2. Joint ministerial directive by YB. Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry, YB. Datuk Seri Panglima Dr. Maximus Johnity Ongkili, Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, YB. Dato’ Sri Douglas Uggah Embas Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and YB. Dato’ Sri Liow Tiong Lai Minister of Health that states “Lynas is required to submit to AELB details of the plans and location of a proposed permanent disposal facility that will manage the residue, if any, generated by the factory. This requirement must be complied with regardless of any alternative proposal Lynas may make for the management or disposal of the factory residue (eg. recycling,conversion into products that can be sold, etc).
http://www.mosti.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/2222012.pdf

And at every renewal of operating licence, Lynas has cropped up lies and empty promises on the issue of recycling their toxic radioactive wastes, from building materials to soil conditioner. In actual fact, the massive hundreds of thousands of tons of radioactive wastes is piling up at the backyard of the plant which is surrounded by eco-sensitive wetland.

During the issuance of Lynas’s licence, Liow Tiong Lai, then the Minister of Health, has promised the people that he will set-up and chair an independent monitoring committee to stringently monitor the operations of Lynas. Til today, we have not received a single line of report from him.

Najib’s accusation that the people is using the Lynas issue as a ‘seasonal political’ tool for the opposition is totally baseless. In actual fact, Lynas has been carrying out massive propaganda campaigns to whitewash the authorities and themselves.

“Are they trying to manipulate the voters in the coming election?”

We also wish to remind Najib that after the last general election in May 2013, when the “election season” was over and subsided, our struggle continues. The people have:

i) camped out at Dataran Merdeka for 36 days where 1.2 million Malaysians have came together and imprint their signatures physically on a petition calling for the closure of the Lynas plant.
ii) protested at the Embassy of Japan
iii) protested at the Australia’s Day celebration in KLCC by the Australian Embassy
iv) sent a delegation to Sydney, Australia where we protested outside the Lynas head office and their AGM.
v) protested outside the Lynas plant on 22 June 2014 where the people were subjected to blatant abuse of power and horrifying physical violence by the police. 16 people have been arrested and 15 of them were charged in court in August 2014. The case is still on-going until today. These 15 ordinary responsible
Malaysians who stood up to protect their country and children were dragged tens of times from across the country to Kuantan almost every month since 2014. This is pure intimidation, oppression and harassment to protect a foreign corporate colonizer in plain sight.

We promise the people of Malaysia that the Lynas issue will be Himpunan Hijau‘s top priority after the change of government. We will ensure environmental justice is upheld.

Press statement by,
Wong Tack
Chairperson of Himpunan Hijau
6 February 2018

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