• The current government's position is one of wanting to add value to Malaysia's rare earth resources instead of exporting raw materials, according to CNA.
• The goal is to encourage foreign investment and technology sharing to allow for local processing of rare earth materials instead of raw export, says CNA.
• This is a strategic shift aimed at creating a domestic industry and avoiding the past practice of only exporting raw materials. 

From opposing to endorsing rare earths processing? Wong Tack, Yeo Bee Yin please explain

Pakatan Harapan has always missed the point when it comes to Lynas and rare earths. Before coming into power, Pakatan swore to oppose rare earth refineries till the end of time, unwilling to accommodate the single Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) operating on our soil. Now, they go head over toes to keep Lynas here, and even go as far as planning to turn rare earth mining into a main industry.

Dear YB Wong Tack and YB Yeo Bee Yin, have your beliefs changed so radically that you somehow surmise that the generation of revenue now takes precedence over the health and lives of the people?

I’m speaking about the fact that the Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry is currently studying how to take advantage of the discovery of rare earth deposits in several states and develop them into a new source of wealth.

We can no longer afford to dwell just on the topic of Lynas when the government is already busy licking their fingers counting the exact amount of money that could be found in opening up rare earth mining to outside investors.

I am curious if the green-activist-slash-Bentong-MP and the Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment & Climate Change plan to object when the Pakatan government decides to exploit the rare minerals? The two of them had in the past provided plentiful inputs on how baneful such activities are towards the health of the people. With the federal mandate in hand, between government wealth and the lives of many, how will they choose now?

Between your offices and your principles, which comes first? Do not attempt to bloviate your answers, beat around the bush, and pretend that there is a way to get the best of both worlds because there is none when it comes to choosing between preserving the environment or exploiting it in the name of progress.

Dato’ Leong Kim Soon

MCA Publicity Deputy Chairperson

-MCA online-

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia will maintain a ban on the export of raw rare earths to protect its domestic resources, despite signing a critical minerals deal with the United States this week, the trade minister said on Wednesday (Oct 29). 

Speaking in parliament, Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz  that Malaysia will allow the export of critical minerals and rare earths to the United States in pursuit of immediate profits or strategic goals.

 

"We no longer want to be a country that only digs and ships out cheap raw materials like in the past," Tengku Zafrul said, reiterating that Malaysia will instead encourage foreign investment and technology sharing for the mining and processing of raw rare earths.

"Our policy is not to prevent trade forever," he said. "Our policy is to prevent the export of cheap unprocessed raw materials so that value is added to

Malaysia has some 16.1 million metric tons of rare earth deposits, according to government estimates, but lacks the technology to mine and process them. Rare earth materials are essential for high-tech manufacturing, including electric vehicles, semiconductors and missiles.