The proposed meeting between Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh and Lynas executive chairperson Nicholas Curtis tomorrow over the Gebeng rare earth plant may not materialise unless representatives from stakeholder groups are allowed to join.

"I stand firm by my position earlier that I have nothing to hide from my constituents and I will only agree to an open meeting as per conditions that I have outlined in my earlier reply to you.

NONE "What is the purpose of a private meeting with me alone? And for you to suggest for a possible press statement together with you after the meeting, is totally undermining me and my principles," Fuziah said in her reply letter to Curtis ( right ).

Admitting that the Australian giant had failed to adequately engage the community in Kuantan, Curtis wrote to Fuziah on Monday to invite her to a private one-on-one meeting tomorrow.

"In this case, I feel that our personal relationship will be better established by a private meeting with no media present in the first instance, followed by joint public statements if required," Curtis said in his letter, which Fuziah forwarded to media.

Curtis recognised that "community trust can only be established if there is a belief that all parties are open and transparent in their statements and positions", reaffirming the company's desire to be honest with the public about the Lynas Advanced Material Plant.

"I do not feel, however, that this is always best done in the full glare of the media," he added.

Earning the trust of the Kuantan people

Fuziah nonetheless tried to convince Curtis that there is no other better option than an open meeting so that it is not misconstrued by other parties.

"Furthermore, the representatives of the Kuantan stakeholder groups as well as members of the media are looking forward to meet you in this planned open session. It would not be fair if we let them down now," she said.

The PKR vice-president also ensured that the presence of media will not interfere with the discussion.

NONE "Only both of us, together with three other representatives from the stake holder group of Kuantan will be engaging in the dialogue. The media will only be allowed to field in their questions after the session."

In the reply letter, Fuziah ( left ) said Lynas should have asked for a town hall-style meeting with Kuantan stakeholders.

"In fact, you should even have voluntarily agreed to put on hold the application for a production license until the process of consultation with all stakeholders are complete. Whatever the outcome of the IAEA panel report, you will still need to earn the trust of the Kuantan people.

"In fact the process of public consultation would have been part and parcel of the process should you be building LAMP in Australia. Why treat Kuantan people differently?" she asked.

This afternoon, the government will announce the findings of an independent panel appointed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conduct a review on radiation safety at the proposed plant.

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