On Saturday 14th July, a variety of creative actions will be taken up by concerned citizens, civil society groups and political parties in various states to show their opposition to the Lynas rare earth project in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Mr Tan Bun Teet, the spokesperson for SMSL and a Kuantan resident said,<\/p>\n
\u201cEach and every one of us have toiled and worked hard to better our life and to provide for our family.\u00a0 We are citizens of Malaysia \u2013 the rakyat – have been paying taxes to build our nation.\u00a0 Yet we are now expected to live with a giant rare earth plant that pays no tax.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOn top of that, Lynas will be leaving behind huge amount of radioactive waste and mountains of contaminated waste sludge.\u00a0 Our air, our water and our food risk being contaminated by Lynas\u2019 waste discharges.\u00a0 Several industries may be affected with adverse economic consequences. This is not the deal we have worked for!\u201d added Mr Tan<\/p>\n
Ever since the outrage showed by the public over the approval granted by the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) to Lynas in late January, a series or organised state-sanctioned deceptions, half-truths and even lies have been widely circulated to confuse the public in a last ditch desperate effort by the Government to try to justify a raw deal and a poor decision making process.\u00a0\u00a0 A fact sheet of rebuttals of some of the misleading claims is attached for reference.<\/p>\n
\u201cWords are cheap.\u00a0 Pollution affects everyone.\u00a0 We call on all Malaysians from all walks of life, all ethnic backgrounds and all religious beliefs to come out in force to join us to Stop Lynas.\u00a0 This is the best way to protect our family, our investment and our future.\u201d Said Ram, a Kuantan resident.<\/p>\n
Apart from not having found a safe permanent storage facility for the radioactive waste, Lynas has yet to provide any definite and clear plan on how it will manage the massive amount of contaminated sludge from the plant.\u00a0 Lynas will discharge huge amounts of waste gas, waste water and solid waste once production starts.\u00a0 The treatment methods proposed by Lynas will not entirely remove the chemicals, heavy metals and radioactive materials.<\/p>\n
Encik Mohd Hassan Bin Samsudin, a young father from Kuantan and a regular volunteer of SMSL reminded people,<\/p>\n
\u201cJangan sekali-sekali berfikir bahawa\u00a0 masalah loji nadir bumi Lynas adalah isu Kuantan sahaja. Ia BUKAN. Ia adalah masalah negara.\u00a0 Setiap rakyat yang mempunyai akal harus bertindak, dan menghentikannya sebelum ianya bermulai mencemarkan alam sekitar, makanan, air dan udara negara kita.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pollution knows no state boundaries.\u00a0 Contaminated seafood from the east coast can be sold anywhere in Malaysia.\u00a0 Polluted air can be spread by the wind far and wide, especially when the monsoon wind strikes.\u00a0 The South China Sea is shared international water.\u00a0 Any serious pollution will affect other states on the east coast of Malaysia and some of our ASEAN neighbours.<\/p>\n
\u201cMalaysia should strive to be the pride of ASEAN, not a dumping ground for run-away polluters from industrialised countries. The first step for us to reclaim our pride and our dignity is to stand together to FIGHT Lynas.<\/p>\n
Let us make our votes count. Let us cast our vote wisely to show that we are decent human beings as good as those living in advanced countries. We want a future we can be proud of and stand tall to share with our family and friends.<\/p>\n
Come and Join US to Stop Lynas and Save Malaysia NOW!\u201d\u00a0 Mr Tan, Ram and Hassan concluded with an appeal to the public.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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