HOME Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) coalition intends to tap into the rare earth element (REE) industry to provide job opportunities to the residents of Kedah if given the mandate to rule the state.
Saifuddin said if the coalition wins this Saturday’s (Aug 12) state elections, the unity government will immediately put an end to illegal REE mining in the state.
“The coalition government in Kedah will be committed to tapping into the international market for REE mining. How to develop the REE industry, and what business model to use,” Saifuddin said in a news conference from Kedah that was also aired live on his Facebook page today (Aug 10).
Saifuddin, who is also PKR secretary-general, said the unity government will establish policies to regulate the excavation and mining of REE, with its proposed rules setting conditions on approving licences for REE excavation and mining.
Besides that, it will also include conducting frequent radiological impact assessments on REE projects and stricter processes and standard operating procedures (SOP) for mining activities, and reviewing the legal framework surrounding REE
“This is to ensure that only registered geologists, whether local or foreign, perform such processes with the involvement of professional engineers.
“The unity government would also support investigations into previous cases of REE theft, including the ones we previously exposed, which allegedly involves caretaker Kedah menteri besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor.
“We will put an immediate stop to any previous incidents of REE theft such as cancelling the approval letters sent out on May 3 (sampling permission letter in Kampung Bendang Man) and May 15 (permission to enter the forest reserve), as this opens the doorway to theft. We will also use mineral state enactments and the Forestry Act to investigate the REE theft.
“We will cooperate with agencies like the police and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to conduct an investigation into the previous case,” the former Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP said.
The Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change told Parliament in June that currently, there is no specific agreement for the mining industry between the federal government, state governments or mining operators.
Sanusi is embroiled in controversy over the theft of REE excavated from Sik in Kedah and Sanusi and Saifuddin have been verbally sparring in public over the REE issue ever since. – Aug 10, 2023
Main pic credit: The Star
