Home Civil Society Voices Stop Lynas from polluting our environment

Stop Lynas from polluting our environment

The anti-Lynas movement

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We, the undersigned NGOs and concerned individuals, call on Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his cabinet, especially the Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Climate Change (Mestecc) Yeo Bee Yin to:

  • suspend Lynas’ operating licence to stop Lynas polluting our precious environment
  • reject Lynas’ application to turn its current waste storage site into a prescribed premise for its massive amount of scheduled waste
  • ensure that Lynas and/or its new owner take active steps to remove its toxic radioactive waste from Malaysia by the September deadline and thoroughly clean up its contaminated groundwater and soil
  • never ever to allow any of Lynas’ toxic waste to remain in Malaysia to risk contaminating our environment
  • ensure that the promised US$50m deposit from Lynas is paid in full in cash and not in Lynas’ shares
  • hold the Atomic Energy Licensing Board and the Department of Environment  to task to ensure that they perform their mandated roles and duty with a high degree of professionalism and integrity in the interest of Malaysia and the Rakyat

Sustainable investments stem from good governance and effective administration

We recognise and acknowledge that Malaysia needs foreign investment. It is therefore even more pertinent that we present our beloved country as a conducive place for responsible companies to do business and operate in, based on good governance, a high level of professionalism in our dealings and integrity in the way we conduct businesses.

Malaysia will be an attractive investment destination if our government upholds the law and restores order to create a fair and equal playing field for all. The Pakatan Harapan government has the power to make this happen.

Mestecc’s decision requiring Lynas to remove its toxic radioactive waste is merely to hold Lynas accountable to its own undertakings made in 2012 to the then Barisan Nasional government.

By continuing to tolerate Lynas’ massive piles of wastes, we are sending the wrong signal that Malaysia is a third world nation desperate for toxic trade and polluting industries. In so doing, Malaysia has essentially undermined and disadvantaged many other responsible businesses that have taken pride in abiding by our environmental law and regulations through genuine actions to protect our environment and public health.

As civil society groups and individuals, we too have been particularly patient and tolerant, giving the benefit of the doubt to the PH government, which we helped put into power last May.  We have largely held in good faith that PH ministers and responsible MPs from all parties would concertedly tackle the Lynas toxic waste problems to protect Malaysia and the rakyat from its radioactive and toxic hazards.

Sustainable development is a PH promise to the rakyat

Many of us contributed and campaigned for PH to be elected. We wish to remind all ministers and members of Parliaments of the PH manifesto, which your respective party signed onto before the 2018 general election. Janji/Promise 39 commits PH to “Balancing the Development with Environmental Protection”.

Therefore, development decisions from the PH cabinet must lead to the security and wellbeing of the people and our environment.

Lynas is a poisoned chalice from the Najib era and a toxic re-run made possible only through generous loan packages from Japan. Malaysia should not be an easy target for Japan to wage its geopolitical technological war with China. Lynas has no place in Malaysia and least of all, if PH is committed to pursuing a sustainable development future.

Sustainable development as promised in the PH manifesto is only possible if the government upholds our own law to restore order.

Tun, we supported your leadership because we trust you will act in Malaysia’s interest and you will uphold your words to undo past mistakes. Lynas is a major mistake committed by the Najib regime.

We now count on all of you – whom we voted into power – to right this wrong to pave the way for Malaysia to pursue a new, clean and safe sustainable pathway of development.

Endorsed by:

  1. Save Malaysia Stop Lynas
  2. Greenpeace Malaysia
  3. Himpunan Hijau
  4. Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam (Peka) Malaysia
  5. Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam (Kuasa)
  6. Pertubuhan Alam Sekitar Sejahtera Malaysia (Grass Malaysia)
  7. Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM)
  8. Consumers Association of Penang (CAP)
  9. North South Initiative
  10. Center for Orang Asli Concerns (COAC)
  11. SMSL Segamat
  12. Stop Lynas Coalition
  13. Gelombang Hijau
  14. Aliran Kesedaran Negara (Aliran)
  15. Pergerakan Tenaga Akademik Malaysia (Gerak)
  16. Malaysian Physicians for Social Responsibility
  17. Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram)
  18. BaramKini
  19. Mama Bersih
  20. OHMSI
  21. Citizens’ Health Initiative
  22. Persatuan Penggerak Hijau
  23. Ban Cyanide Action Committee
  24. Himpunan Hijau Johor
  25. Persatuan Penunggang Basikal Jelajah Bumi Hijau
  26. University of Malaya Association of New Youth (Umany)
  27. Johor Yellow Flame (JYF)
  28. Engage
  29. Perak Green Pioneer
  30. Women Development Organisation of Malaysia
  31. The Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall women’s section
  32. Green Earth Society
  33. Kryss
  34. Persatuan Sahabat Wanita Selangor (PSWS)
  35. Beyond Borders
  36. Persatuan Kesedaran Komuniti Selangor (Empower)
  37. Sabah Environmental Protection Association (Sepa)
  38. Malaysian Nature Society Pahang
  39. Sabah Women’s Action-Resource Group (Sawo)
  40. Pusat Komas
  41. To Earth With Love
  42. Tanah Dahai
  43. Centre for Independent Journalism Malaysia
  44. Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Semenanjung Malaysia (JKOASM)
  45. Sustainable Development Network Malaysia (Susden Malaysia)
  46. Foreign Spouses Support Group
  47. Treat Every Environment Special (TrEES)
  48. Sahabat Rakyat 人民之友 ம”க$ ேதாழ)கள
  49. Health Equity Initiatives
  50. Justice for Sisters
  51. Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia
  52. Tenaganita
  53. Jaringan Orang Asal Semalaysia (JOAS)
  54. Monsoons Malaysia
  55. Friends of Kota Damansara
  56. MyPJ
  57. Hakam
  58. The Society for the Promotion of Human Rights (Proham)
  59. Student Unity Front
  60. Bersih Gold Coast
  61. Bersih Timor Leste
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.

AGENDA RAKYAT - Lima perkara utama
  1. Tegakkan maruah serta kualiti kehidupan rakyat
  2. Galakkan pembangunan saksama, lestari serta tangani krisis alam sekitar
  3. Raikan kerencaman dan keterangkuman
  4. Selamatkan demokrasi dan angkatkan keluhuran undang-undang
  5. Lawan rasuah dan kronisme
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Darren
Darren
4 May 2019 7.54pm

May be you should concentrate on the battery plant, bauxite mining, river pollution and even palm oil production causing deforestation. These are proven environmental catastrophes.

Lynas has shown to be compliant with all international environmental safety standards.

NO to Corporate Propaganda
NO to Corporate Propaganda
4 May 2019 5.13pm

Looks like the pro-Lynas propaganda boys are back in full force! Since they love Lynas so much, suggest they invite Lynas to move to their backyard so they can enjoy Lynas’ “environmental standards” even more.

Ramzan Mohamed
Ramzan Mohamed
5 May 2019 6.25am

I live near the LAMP. I bet you live in KL. Where all the other anti Lynas folks live. lol

Ramzan Mohamed
Ramzan Mohamed
5 May 2019 6.27am

We actually need REE to make electric cars and wind turbines. Opposing Lynas means that you are promoting climate change.

Tim Ainsworth
Tim Ainsworth
4 May 2019 2.52pm

Why are these people and the Minister completely fixated on Lynas 6bq residues that are so highly regulated & supervised when this recent report finds much higher levels of radiation in five amang tailing factories where “Local practice is for the processed amang and aggregated waste to be left in the open environment near to the plant.”

https://aip.scitation.org/doi/pdf/10.1063/1.4972913

Surely the people, and their environment, would be better served by the Minister taking broad action across ALL Malaysian industry to bring it up to Lynas LAMP environmental standards, rated “intrinsically safe” by IAEA and 100% compliant by the recent review committee.

Ramzan Mohamed
Ramzan Mohamed
4 May 2019 5.54am

This is so stupid. These 60 groups couldn’t even get 100 people to a protest in Putrajaya last month. How many members do these pathetic organizations have? People want jobs not dumb platitudes and race baiting….

Darren
Darren
3 May 2019 11.00pm

I am a supporter of Greenpeace but if this article is endorsed by them, then I will be sad to have been financially supporting them. They have lost all credibility.

You provide no logic. Please stick to scientific facts. The amount of radiation of 10Bq/g is so low that they do not possesses any risk.

Very primitive and sad.

Megat Sharifudin
3 May 2019 8.33pm

Is there concrete proof that Lynas activities polluting the environment

Mokka Sancha Hii
3 May 2019 9.09pm

Bauxite mining at Kuantan, my dear..have you forgotten

Ramzan Mohamed
Ramzan Mohamed
4 May 2019 5.58am

What does this have to do with Lynas?

Megat Sharifudin
3 May 2019 10.53pm

Mokka Sancha Hii …bauxite.mining done by the locals or farmed out by locals

Ramzan Mohamed
Ramzan Mohamed
4 May 2019 5.55am

No.There is no proof. The evidence show Lynas isn’t polluting the environment.

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