MP SPEAKS Are politicians and regulatory bodies in Malaysia fighting to win of ‘The stupidest statement ever’ contest? If so, then first prize must go to the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB).

In issuing a temporary operating licence (TOL), its director-general Raja Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan said the agency had relied on Australian rare earths miner Lynas' unilateral commitment to ship out radioactive waste from the Gebeng operations without putting this in "black and white".