Some 15000 Malaysians turned up to express their opposition to the Lynas rare earth refinery in Kuantan today in perhaps the largest and most diverse environmental protest in Malaysian history.
It could mark the birth of a new green movement and heightened environmental consciousness in the country.
The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.
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zzim, why you agree with Smith? He said everyone who uses handphone, cars (hybrid & normal) even pc are all exposing themselves to radiation. Can’t you see this is not the same as exposing yourself to radiation from the wastes dump site? At least your handphone, car and pc expose you to radiation for a limited time while you are using them. There is no limit to the radiation you are exposed to if its coming from a dump site near you. This means whether you are awake, asleep, eating, reading or whatever else you are doing you will be exposed to excessive radiation. Whatlah you, use your otak. Or is it already fried by radiation?
Timmy
29 Feb 2012 10.32am
smith what you say is true but lynas project will catalyst the radiation level by 10 fold. Please do your research more on the contamination level that china stop on for rare earth in 2009.
If this really goes through, Kuantan may end up being a ghost town. By the way, the waste product from lynas are also depose at a near by public beach. Imagine our younger generations goes there for a picnic and a swim.
zzim
27 Feb 2012 10.21pm
Agree with Smith.Maybe this peoples don’t use handphone but use kepala lutut to communicate.hahaha
smith
27 Feb 2012 12.12pm
hypocrite people.. if you really don’t want a rare earth processing plant here because of the so called radiation, so stop using your freaking smartphone, hybrid car, even normal car(because of catalytic converter which use rare earth material), lcd/led tv or heck even the computer you use to post your comment..did u all even finish school?!!
Clearly someone here has not been doing his homework in Chemistry. May I recommend you to read up on the IAEA report on Lynas. The main issue is the Thorium-232 and also “small” quantities of Uranium in the waste that is being produced. Your argument is heavily flawed. Th-232 is never used anywhere else, and is only experimented in small amounts in certain specific nuclear plants. The products (note, not WASTE) of the plant yes is REEs, and they are used by all of us, but those are non radioactive isotopes. Go and learn some chemistry and physics before talking. Th-232 is radioactive, emits alpha particles, and decays to form Radium-228. What we want is to have a safe and proper disposal of the waste, which is still non-existant and is worrying. That itself shows the irresponsibility of the government and AELB in handling this. Makes us wonder, what else did they screw up…
moslem
27 Feb 2012 11.47am
utusan said on 2000 crowd…hahaha buta ka?
Francis
26 Feb 2012 9.35pm
The only way to stop Lynas is to change government from BN to Pakatan.
Tang Loon Kong
26 Feb 2012 6.18pm
We should also take note of the ‘Shell’ story in Nigeria.
Dr. Amir
26 Feb 2012 3.43pm
Dear Readers, This is no small crowd and I am sure PR has no money to pay them for their attendance. It is really a wake-up call for Najib and MB of Pahang. The message is already on the wall – vote BN out. There are many others who did not come out maybe easily another 10,000 and that is enough to make Pahang State rattle. If Lynas project goes through, the fall of Pahang state to the opposition is inavitible. Najib and co. must think very hard as the core of the demonstrators of Lynas maybe UNMO supporters itself and maybe many fence sitters. Their concerned is the future of their health and well-being and those sentiment is enough to convince them to vote against UMNO. In the first place this project should not have taken place anywhere in Malaysia. There are many such moves by the western nations and Australia to have these projects outside their nations, where they had already set some of these similar projects in the African continent. The disposal of the waste radio actives had taken a toll on the… Read more »
zzim, why you agree with Smith? He said everyone who uses handphone, cars (hybrid & normal) even pc are all exposing themselves to radiation. Can’t you see this is not the same as exposing yourself to radiation from the wastes dump site? At least your handphone, car and pc expose you to radiation for a limited time while you are using them. There is no limit to the radiation you are exposed to if its coming from a dump site near you. This means whether you are awake, asleep, eating, reading or whatever else you are doing you will be exposed to excessive radiation. Whatlah you, use your otak. Or is it already fried by radiation?
smith what you say is true but lynas project will catalyst the radiation level by 10 fold. Please do your research more on the contamination level that china stop on for rare earth in 2009.
If this really goes through, Kuantan may end up being a ghost town. By the way, the waste product from lynas are also depose at a near by public beach. Imagine our younger generations goes there for a picnic and a swim.
Agree with Smith.Maybe this peoples don’t use handphone but use kepala lutut to communicate.hahaha
hypocrite people.. if you really don’t want a rare earth processing plant here because of the so called radiation, so stop using your freaking smartphone, hybrid car, even normal car(because of catalytic converter which use rare earth material), lcd/led tv or heck even the computer you use to post your comment..did u all even finish school?!!
then by your reasoning shouldn’t walk under the sun
God forgive those who know not what they cuss about.
Clearly someone here has not been doing his homework in Chemistry. May I recommend you to read up on the IAEA report on Lynas. The main issue is the Thorium-232 and also “small” quantities of Uranium in the waste that is being produced. Your argument is heavily flawed. Th-232 is never used anywhere else, and is only experimented in small amounts in certain specific nuclear plants. The products (note, not WASTE) of the plant yes is REEs, and they are used by all of us, but those are non radioactive isotopes. Go and learn some chemistry and physics before talking. Th-232 is radioactive, emits alpha particles, and decays to form Radium-228. What we want is to have a safe and proper disposal of the waste, which is still non-existant and is worrying. That itself shows the irresponsibility of the government and AELB in handling this. Makes us wonder, what else did they screw up…
utusan said on 2000 crowd…hahaha buta ka?
The only way to stop Lynas is to change government from BN to Pakatan.
We should also take note of the ‘Shell’ story in Nigeria.
Dear Readers, This is no small crowd and I am sure PR has no money to pay them for their attendance. It is really a wake-up call for Najib and MB of Pahang. The message is already on the wall – vote BN out. There are many others who did not come out maybe easily another 10,000 and that is enough to make Pahang State rattle. If Lynas project goes through, the fall of Pahang state to the opposition is inavitible. Najib and co. must think very hard as the core of the demonstrators of Lynas maybe UNMO supporters itself and maybe many fence sitters. Their concerned is the future of their health and well-being and those sentiment is enough to convince them to vote against UMNO. In the first place this project should not have taken place anywhere in Malaysia. There are many such moves by the western nations and Australia to have these projects outside their nations, where they had already set some of these similar projects in the African continent. The disposal of the waste radio actives had taken a toll on the… Read more »