Himpunan Hijau 2.0 held on the 26 of Feb had gathered more than 3K citizens at MPK4 Kuantan (which some media actually reported to be more than 15K), Malaysia to protest against Lynas from building rare earth refinery at Gebeng, Pahang, after the company has fail to convince China and a neighbouring state of Pahang, Terengganu to set up the plant there.
The operation of the Lynas plant in Gebeng, Pahang should, therefore, be halted subject to evaluation of its safety control, toxic waste management etc to meet not only MAELB requirements but also IAEA, the international watch dog from UN, that it is safe and not hazardous to inhabitants of Gebeng. This is required as any radiation leaks will breach beyond the Malaysian shores, having international repercussions.
If this Plant is as safe, non-hazardous, non-toxic to the environment and human where all pre-cautionary measures, accident back-up plan, other radiation leaking and leeching controls and toxic waste disposal controls are in place as claimed by Lynas, then this Plant should be able to comply and meet with all Australian homeland standards, and the raw materials are to be mined in Mount Weld, Western Australia. Logistically, this Plant should be there.
In fact, the past experience was a traumatic one. Malaysia last rare earth refinery set up by Mitzubishi in Bukit Merah, Perak, in 1985 was closed in 1996 after radiation leak and unsatisfactory toxic waste disposal procedures. Many of the inhabitants developed leukemia, other forms of cancer and children born with deformity. The site is still undergoing intensive radioactive decontamination.
"We are not against rare earth industry. We are against Lynas, because they sneaked in through the back door and they turned Malaysia into their dump site. And Australia is such a big country, a lot of desert land; they could've got it over with, in Australia. If that country wants to do it, whichever country feels that they can control the waste and manage it well, so be it! What we are against is, the way Lynas sneaked in, bypassing or using the loopholes in our environmental laws and getting away with a twelve-year tax exemption, and without a fixed proper permanent waste disposal site, without a proper waste management plan. This is unacceptable."
~ by Clement Chin, businessman and organizer of Himpunan Hijau or Green Assembly, Malaysia
We now seek your attention and help to join us against this project. We need you to save Malaysia, as well as our next generation.
