Lynas’ rare earth refinery is not wanted; neither are Sarawak’s mega dams – that’s the message that 20000 Malaysians sent out when they marched to Dataran Merdeka yesterday.
With East Malaysians protesting against mega dams in Sarawak joining in, the march was the first show of strength from a blossoming nationwide environmental movement.
No arrests were reported yesterday and one observer suggests that this indicates the general election is very close, as the parties in power would be reluctant to antagonise Malaysians with heavy-handed action with polls so close.
A couple of hundred activists spent the night near Dataran and this morning at a people’s meeting, they passed several resolutions calling on the government to:
- stop Lynas;
- close or re-evaluate all environmentally risky projects in the country such as the Bukit Komas gold mine in Pahang, the high-tension electrical tower in Rawang and the refinery and integrated petrochemical refinery project (Rapid) in Pengerang, Johor;
- end the land grab of Orang Asli villages.
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Australia has not ‘banned such plants on Australian soil’ – You people are brainwashed. And Anil – it’s amusing you call yourself a journalist yet you don’t have the first clue about Lynas’ parallel processing agreements with companies outside Malaysia – you seem intent to read into transportation of ore something that even the dullest … could work out. None of you seek out definitive scientific data relating to the Lynas facility – you choose to harp on about ‘toxic’ this and ‘damaging’ that – comparing Gebeng to China… You’re utterly delusional – and if that’s how you choose to… Read more »
Hi everyone, I salute the young and old who matched under all weather conditions to Dataran Merdeka to demonstrate their absolute objection to the Lynas plant in Gebeng, Kuantan!! Dear Expat, if the people in Kuantan and elsewhere in Pahang and Malaysia clearly stated their objection to the Lynas Plant in Pahang, then if the Federal and Pahang State Govts are people-centric administrators, they should hold a referendum to gauge the level of objection of the people, to establish/dispel the notion that the silent majority actually support such plants in Malaysia or otherwise! Mr Expat, a very simple reasoning I… Read more »
This is a video tribute to the green warriors who walked hundred of kilometres to raise our awareness. Bravo!
In the end, what is the point of having this plant? Its mainly just machines and at best a few hundred jobs. The line that destroy the credibility of the purpose of this plant is that it will have ‘spin-off’. If people can buy the rare earth, why would they move their factories here? – people who have choices, who are good at what they do don’t want to work next to them. Even China failed to move high-tech firms to relocate to China (NOT next to rare earth plant).. There is NO plant of this kind in all the… Read more »
this lynas scandal. to top it all, a 12-year tax holiday was given to a toxic processing company which nobody wants. not even from the country where the raw material originates.
follow the money trail, it will lead you to the answers why the BN government is adamant with green-light for Lynas.
last time in another scandal, a young monoglian woman was bombed to smithereens with C4. where’s the beef for this. again, follow the money trail and the answers will be there.
see the connect?
“Tax holiday” = “Pay me instead of the public”
You do not need Taipei for these. Many Kelantanese cross Sungai Golok, walla! land to test you keimanan.. It is easy to keep our keimanan with religious policing/enforcement. Many matured principled and religious leaders fail when locked in empty room with stack of contracts or sex temptation. PAS can help to a point to nurture keimanan control, beyond that, one has to grow and mature religiously. Some even say, too much dependent of religious control/policing, made one not prepared for such tests in Taipei or north of sungai golok. They equal this to kids, if you don’t allow spaces for… Read more »
Lets talk fact… 1) Last thing to read is the Star, it is owned by political party – MCA. 2) If you can’t explain, the logic and motivations to transfer RE ores all the way from Australia to Gebeng? those not-all-understood scientific data/reasoning became secondary. 3) We are M’sian, we know our government the authorities too well, we know their transparency and accountability level, you can gauge them by the yearly auditor general report. It is easy to argue the likelihood/probability is low with all counter-measures and enforcement. If this takes lot of ‘disciplines’ of our enforcers, that is too… Read more »
expat,
Mahatir will love you till death. Malaysian DOE said Asia Rare Earth was safe. So, too Mahatir and those that oppose him eventually ended up under ISA.
If it is so safe and lucrative, Australia must be idiots to let it go. Afterall, the raw materials. are from Down Under. Has anything changed since 1980s when profits are concerned? You think Aussies are so saintly to let profits stay at end of queue and locals interest ahead?
At least, 20,000 refused to be cowed.
oh Gelakan, its only 200. Rest of numbers is imaginary.
Anil, It is so obvious that there is a ‘very good reason’ for the morons from Umno to allow the Lynas plant to operate in Malaysia when simple logic would have them asked, why is the operators do not want the plant to be in Australia ? Surely someone must get enormous benefits from this plus the resistance and silence from the authority so far thus far. This is the kind of government we have in Malaysia and the only way to impede this kind of attitude from the morons from unilaterally doing what they like is to vote them… Read more »
Until now, the propaganda was that this was safe (So trust us) and essential (So don’t be NIMBY). Now, leading economist Jeffrey Sachs has taken the trouble to voice his concerns. So, I am realy worried.
http://mynewshub.my/eng/2012/02/the-truth-about-lynas/ START THE TRUTH ABOUT LYNAS IN KUANTAN By: Melinda Mazhar Allegations vs Facts: Lynas takes advantage of weaknesses in Malaysian law by proposing China standard. Malaysia’s law on radiological safety and health is AT PAR if not STRICTER THAN any of those used internationally. Lynas has never proposed the used of any China’s standard. Australian law restricts construction of such plant within 35km radius of residential area. There is no such Australian law or even other international law on this. The nearest town to Mt. Weld, Laverton just HAPPENS TO BE 35km away. The distance is not a requirement.… Read more »
Yes, I call it greenwash and yes, spinning too. I know how corporate public relations works and how it is used in situations like this.
If it is so safe, go build it in Australia. Duh!
Expat, I am a former Malaysian (now Australian). I am stationed in Vietnam where my work encompasses environmental concerns. The were applications to set up such rare earth refineries but were declined by the Vietnamese government. I just do not understand why the Malaysian government stooped so low as to push through this project when even a country like Vietnam do not want. Even at the expense of losing votes in the imminent elections. Is it how they practise their “people first” policy ?, or is it because somebody in power has (vested interests), therefore are commited to Lynas and… Read more »
Why are you so keen to know when ore was shipped? What is the point? Like I said you should know. Where I am isn’t important – in fact later this week I will be in KL, then HK, then UK then US. Aside from this I must ask that you consider for a moment why an international company would want to make a facility that could do harm? This is not the 1980’s Anil – even if you have objections that’s fine of course but as SMSL found with their appeals recently, unless any concerns are supported by reasoned… Read more »
As I thought, you don’t live here, nowhere near the plant. ‘Love’ the long-winded greenwash rhetoric though. (Not fooling anyone.) Go try and build a similar refinery in Europe or relocate Lamp to Australia. See what they tell you. Easier to build in a country with poor environmental awareness/enforcement, right? But the local residents are not stupid. They can think and see for themselves. Unless you believe otherwise. (A word of advice: Don’t underestimate the intuitive wisdom of ordinary people.) The date of shipment is important as the Kuantan High Court only lifted the stay on Lynas’ temporary operating licence… Read more »
It is tragically ironic that the Malaysian government go out of their way to accommodate a foreign company that will churn out toxic waste, while they treat their own citizens like dirt at Independent Square.
Dear Mr. Anilnetto, 20,000? Are you sure? 20,000 came out to march against LYNAS and those mega damns in Sarawak? How come Bernama only reported 2,000? Either those in Bernama cannot count or Anilnetto is exaggerating the figures? But, reading a few other newsites, they also state 20,000 turned up, so Mr. Anilnetto is credible indeed. Yes, election is near, very near indeed. With the latest issue of gender separation in Kelantan, perhaps engineered by UMNO sympathisers within Kelantan working in cohort with MCA? We have to thank PAS for taking immediate actions as there were reports by housewives that… Read more »
You cling to false information like a parasite Anil… because it’s all you have. It doesn’t matter where I’m from – but I’m not from Australia, so you’re on a ledge there buddy… And as for telling you when Lynas shipped ore – why don’t you ask your ever-so-competent friends watching Freemantle port – Oh sorry… they were all too busy playing with their smartphones weren’t they… full of Chinese REE… Get a perspective you moron – EDUCATE YOURSELF.
You may not be from Australia (i.e. Australian) but are you IN Australia? Of course it matters where you are. If you are living in Malaysia or near the refinery for the long-term, I don’t think you would be cheering on this plant.
Ask the people living near Lynas what they think. Oh, I forgot, you don’t care two hoots what they think as long as you are far away from the plant.
If you are so keen on the facts, go find out from your favourite refinery owners, when did Lynas ship the ore out of Australia.
Anil – You’re an idiot. You do not acknowledge for a moment that all of the information spread by SMSL & anti-Lynas is scaremongering & false, purely for political gain… Regardless when a poster like Gerakan K raises a perfectly valid point you stick your fingers in your ears because it isn’t what you want to hear. So, HH couldn’t fill out the forms to authorise the Dataran assembly… and they obviously don’t understand science… Would you vote for that? Good luck with that.
And I bet you must be a Lynas fan from Australia, feeling so safe with your home far away from Malaysia to feel any long-term effects.
If you are so concerned about proper procedure, tell us the date when Lynas shipped the rare earth concentrate from Australia. Did it comply with all legal requirements in Malaysia on that date?
I sure wouldn’t vote for Lynas or anyone supporting Lynas.
There are millions of silent Malaysians condemning the demonstration. BIKIN MALU nama Malaysia. Lynas is safe according to experts. The court of law already OK it. All required operating licenses already acquired. All safety checks already passed. What else do you want ??? Yes, just to badmouth BN at all costs via lies and provocation. What else ORANG KAMPUNG know about the Lynas ??? What else ORANG PAKATAN know about the Lynas ??? Nothing !!! BN [x] Pakatan [ ] p/s: I wonder why anil still keep quiet on recent pas hudud for all policy in Kota Bharu. Chinese salon… Read more »
Calm down, ol chap. We don’t want your blood pressure to rise.
Hello mr. k.gerakan, Are you agreeing that people must look the other way when a minor leakage of radioactive waste could harm present and future generations? The silent majority are not those who you think supports bn, no way dear friend but the silent majority are those who are waiting for ge13 to show bn the back door. K. gerakan, Do you accept the contents of the intelok book for secondary schools?Are you not upset that your ancestors and the chinese and indians were referred to … with … demeaning words used … The least you can do to correct… Read more »
I am not against rare earth. In fact I am very in favour of it. It has very vital use in today’s world and most of us benefit from it. My only problem is it being done in Malaysia. Let me ask you something. Nobody needs to be an expert in radiation or rare earth to answer this question. Why is Lynas shipping its ore all the way from Australia to Malaysia? If it can do so much good for the country and the people and the economy, why would Australia send it here. Why not do it on their… Read more »
Can the Australian experts, govt, authorities be wrong. Can the 22 millions Australians be wrong. Even China which processes the most red earth has admitted that it is dangerous and is scaling down or shifting their operation else where. What about the SILENT MAJORITIES of Malaysian that says it is wrong.
Nobody is bad mouthing the UMNO Ah Cheap Kor.
The facts are all there and the UMNO Ah Cheap Kor with their sycophants are not listening to the people. When they don`t listen, lets get them out. Kick them out next GE..
THIS should worry everyone..THIS is so independent – it means that UMNO/BN has lost Selangor/KL already even before the GE. IF the result of the GE is OTHERWISE… it can only (point to) FRAUD to the people…
Najib is not going to reassure Selangorian or people of a peaceful GE, taking his party line and the irrresponsibility the party is today. It shows he is not even a decent person much less qualified to be PM…
If the rakyat not bangkit against corrupted and greedy folks, one day Mount Weld’s toxic waste will be dumped at Weld Quay !
While the local TV stations (shame on you 8TV, NTV7, TV3) did not show any footage of the green march, it was shown on foreign TV stations, see the youtube here: