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.
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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.
AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
- Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
- Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
- Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
- Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
- Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
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,… Read more »
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.
Go Lynas!!
Tan But Teet … just wants to make money from t-shirt sales on his website.
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.
Okay everyone, let’s wait for the pro-Lynas propaganda boys to show up, including Looi boy.