SMSL
is appalled by the Prime Minister’s apparent ignorance of the
scientific and engineering facts related to the Lynas rare earth
refinery project in Gebeng, near Kuantan.
Mr
Tan Bun Teet, SMSL spokesperson
say, “We noted with extreme regret that until this day the Prime
Minister has either not been officially informed of all the facts
that we Save MALAYSIA Stop Lynas(SMSL) has submitted through
ministerial hearings and publications on our website findings by
various institutions like CAP, MMA and the Bar Council or he is
practicing selective denial. Is the PM following the footstep of the
President of MCA - we sent the latter volumes of scientific facts and
evidences on harms that a rare earth plant can cause to the
environment and the people living nearby?”
We
are not opposed to the economic development that foreign investments
can bring to our nation. To allow Lynas Advance material Plants
(LAMP) to proceed when Lynas has NOT presented a safe plan as yet on
how its radioactive waste will be dealt with in the long term and it
has only done a sketchy preliminary environmental impact assessment
will certainly confirm that Malaysia has a third world industrial
safety and environmental standard.
“For
the PM to dismisse concerns of thousands of tax paying rakyat right
after over 20,000 people braved themselves to say “NO” to the
Lynas project at Dataran merdeka yesterday is a slap in the face of
democracy and an insult to the PM’s much promoted motto of “Rakyat
didahulukan!”. This Government has lost its credibility and
citizens will organized to vote BN OUT.” Remarks Haji Ismail Abu
Bakar
SMSL
has received quality advice from different experts based on science
and sound engineering practices. There are serious concerns with
regard to Lynas’ management of its waste and radiation safety of
its workers.
An
independent assessment by the reputable and renowned Oeko Institute
(http://www.oeko.de/the_institute/dok/594.php)
in Germany is near completion. Preliminary findings have found Lynas
not to adhere to safe international practices and that no licence
should have been approved for its construction given the design fault
let alone the issuing of a temporary operating licence which the
Malaysian Government has so carelessly done.
A
Kuantan resident Ram Ponusamy comments, “We the rakyat were made
to believe that Malaysia could be a developed nation by 2020. We
have seen now how our government has FAILED us in this important
development goal by reducing our industrial safety and environmental
standard to that of a dysfunctional third world country. We are
ashamed of this government and we have only one choice – that is to
VOTE IT OUT!!”
“Has
the PM done the proper thing by getting an independent engineering
audit following the New York Times revelation that there were serious
structural problems with the plant? Why wasn’t a detailed EIA been
ordered by the government in light of the LAMP being the world’s
largest rare earth plant outside of China and there has not been any
best practice rare earth plant available to date? Where is the
government’s duty of care to its own tax payers and rakyat??”
asks Mr Tan.
SMSL
vowed to continue to campaign to oppose the plant and to VOTE OUT a
government that is deaf and blind to the wishes of its people!
“Enough
said and we will continue to fight this plant till the end to
safeguard our basic rights to live in a hazard-free environment for
our family and the future generations. The government can ignore the
rakyat’s wish at its own perils!” Warns Mr Tan, Haji Ismail and
Ram on behalf of SMSL
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| The number of men, women, and children supporting the cross-country 300km (Kuantan to Kuala Lumpur) Green Walk had swollen tremendously on the 13th day, with estimates putting the crowd at more than 20,000 on Nov 25, joined in with the core group of roughly 70 led by Himpunan Hijau chairperson Wong Tack. |
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