By Yow Hong Chieh
KUANTAN, May 7 — Residents here are now relying on Datuk Seri Najib Razak to stop a RM700 million rare earth refinery from starting operations and storing radioactive waste this September in his home state. They hope the prime minister will repeat his support and gesture for the environment when he cancelled the Lahad Datu coal-fired power plant in Sabah recently for the “greener” alternative of gas.
“I do hope the prime minister can do something for the rakyat as what he always says: people first,” Kuantan resident Cheok told The Malaysian Insider.
Cheok, 41, said the “irresponsible” project would not benefit Malaysia despite assurances that the plant will generate RM8 billion in revenue yearly.
He pointed out that the cleaning and medical costs that the government would have to bear if pollution from the “toxic” plant got out of hand would run into the hundreds of millions, negating any returns from its operation.
The project will also likely “destroy” Kuantan’s economy as it would lead to a deterioration of property prices as well as badly damage Pahang’s lucrative tourism industry, he said.
“For me, this project is all deficit,” he said at a meeting organised at an unassuming Chinese association hall here tucked between two cemeteries.
Despite the growing strength of the anti-Lynas Corp movement here, Cheok felt that the “only person” who could stop the “toxic” rare earth plant from going online was the prime minister himself.
Cheok urged the government to focus on improving the tourism industry rather than undertake what he described as nothing more than “a desperate act to woo foreign investment”.
But more important to the father of two was the well-being of his children, aged four and seven.
He said he believed locals would reject the plant to safeguard their children’s future even if Lynas increased its investment 10-fold.
“What is the point of being rich and the next generation is not healthy?” he asked.
“What decision we make today could potentially be a very sad conclusion for the next generation.”
He was part of a 100-strong crowd in the Coalition of Chinese Associations Kuantan (GPPTK) hall who delivered one stinging rebuke after another against the government-sanctioned project.
Liaw Sen Lan, 65, similarly urged Najib to look after the people in his home state and protect the interests of “our Malay friends”, who made up the majority of the people who live near the plant. “Our prime minister, his home town is Pekan. How far from here?” he said.
But Liaw was critical of what he saw as the government’s shortsightedness and asked what would happen to the radioactive waste stored locally beyond the 10-year permit the government gave Lynas to store such material on-site.
He also questioned the stated rationale behind Australia-based Lynas’ decision to build the plant here as Australia was 60 times the size of Malaysia and had “three big deserts”, ample water and advanced port facilities.
“This is all the Lynas CEO’s bullshit,” he said.
He added that “people power” would prevail at the end of the day but admitted that it would take “some time” before the movement reached its goal.
Also present was Sabah Environmental Protection Association president Wong Tack, whose three-year campaign against the Lahad Datu coal power plant ended in victory when the government announced its cancellation on February 16.
Like many of those who attended today’s talk, Wong express confidence that the prime minister would eventually step in and stop the rare earth plant.
“I’m very confident that our prime minister will make the right decision at the right time, like Sabah,” he said.
He warned the almost-entirely Chinese crowd that the road ahead was a long and arduous one but assured them that they would “definitely succeed” in their fight to preserve Kuantan, which he described as “a beautiful place”.
Lynass proposed RM700 million rare earth processing plant in Gebeng, 25km north of here, has come under heavy fire from Kuantan residents, green groups and lawmakers convinced that the plant will be disastrous to the environment.
Under public pressure, the government recently announced that it would form an independent panel to assess the environmental impact of the plant.
The plant, currently under construction, had originally been scheduled to start operations in September.
Rare earth metals are used in high-technology products like smartphones, hybrid cars and even bombs.
Wong speaking to the gathering of people against the Lynas plant. — Pictures by Choo Choy May
“I do hope the prime minister can do something for the rakyat as what he always says: people first,” Kuantan resident Cheok told The Malaysian Insider.
Cheok, 41, said the “irresponsible” project would not benefit Malaysia despite assurances that the plant will generate RM8 billion in revenue yearly.
He pointed out that the cleaning and medical costs that the government would have to bear if pollution from the “toxic” plant got out of hand would run into the hundreds of millions, negating any returns from its operation.
The project will also likely “destroy” Kuantan’s economy as it would lead to a deterioration of property prices as well as badly damage Pahang’s lucrative tourism industry, he said.
“For me, this project is all deficit,” he said at a meeting organised at an unassuming Chinese association hall here tucked between two cemeteries.
Despite the growing strength of the anti-Lynas Corp movement here, Cheok felt that the “only person” who could stop the “toxic” rare earth plant from going online was the prime minister himself.
Cheok urged the government to focus on improving the tourism industry rather than undertake what he described as nothing more than “a desperate act to woo foreign investment”.
But more important to the father of two was the well-being of his children, aged four and seven.
He said he believed locals would reject the plant to safeguard their children’s future even if Lynas increased its investment 10-fold.
“What is the point of being rich and the next generation is not healthy?” he asked.
“What decision we make today could potentially be a very sad conclusion for the next generation.”
He was part of a 100-strong crowd in the Coalition of Chinese Associations Kuantan (GPPTK) hall who delivered one stinging rebuke after another against the government-sanctioned project.
A section of the crowd who attended the meeting.
But Liaw was critical of what he saw as the government’s shortsightedness and asked what would happen to the radioactive waste stored locally beyond the 10-year permit the government gave Lynas to store such material on-site.
He also questioned the stated rationale behind Australia-based Lynas’ decision to build the plant here as Australia was 60 times the size of Malaysia and had “three big deserts”, ample water and advanced port facilities.
“This is all the Lynas CEO’s bullshit,” he said.
He added that “people power” would prevail at the end of the day but admitted that it would take “some time” before the movement reached its goal.
Also present was Sabah Environmental Protection Association president Wong Tack, whose three-year campaign against the Lahad Datu coal power plant ended in victory when the government announced its cancellation on February 16.
Like many of those who attended today’s talk, Wong express confidence that the prime minister would eventually step in and stop the rare earth plant.
“I’m very confident that our prime minister will make the right decision at the right time, like Sabah,” he said.
He warned the almost-entirely Chinese crowd that the road ahead was a long and arduous one but assured them that they would “definitely succeed” in their fight to preserve Kuantan, which he described as “a beautiful place”.
Lynass proposed RM700 million rare earth processing plant in Gebeng, 25km north of here, has come under heavy fire from Kuantan residents, green groups and lawmakers convinced that the plant will be disastrous to the environment.
Under public pressure, the government recently announced that it would form an independent panel to assess the environmental impact of the plant.
The plant, currently under construction, had originally been scheduled to start operations in September.
Rare earth metals are used in high-technology products like smartphones, hybrid cars and even bombs.
