The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has warned of a potential time bomb, referring to yesterday' s accident in which a lorry spilled chemicals from the Lynas rare-earth processing plant in Gebeng, Kuantan.

MMA president NKS Tharmaseelan said the medical body was "appalled and dismayed" at that incident where the material spilled on the Kuala Lumpur-Kuantan federal road at Lanchang.

"This federal road at Lanchang is closer to the population creating more safety and health concerns among the residents and Malaysians. 

"It will always remain a potential time bomb," he said in a statement today.

Tharmaseelan added that the incident has further heightened and raised safety concerns within and outside the Lynas plant.

"Malaysians are worried that another Fukushima Daiichi will occur at their door step," he added in reference to the 2011 Japanese nuclear disaster.

Tharmaseelan said despite the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry, the courts, a parliamentary select committee and the Atomic Energy Licensing Board giving the green light for the Lynas facility, Malaysians are still anxious and apprehensive about the plant.

"No wonder the Australians decided to locate this rare earth plant in Malaysia (where it is) safer for the Australians," he said.

Tharmaseelan urged for stricter enforcement in dealing with

material for and from the Lynas plant.

Not very hazardous, but may kill fishes

Temerloh district police chief Abdul Aziz Salleh had said yesterday the lorry was carrying 15 pails of chemical liquid, namely PrND chloride of which 13 scattered on the road.

Four of them ruptured, causing the chemical to spill.

However, Abdul Aziz insisted that chemical was "not that hazardous" and it would only cause "itchiness" on people coming into skin contact with it.

“It must not go into the water. If it goes into the river, then the fish in the river might die, but there is no river at the place,” he had said.

The Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team in Hazmat suits were seen neutralising the sealed off road.

Lynas Malaysia public relations and communications general manager Amin Abdullah had stressed that the rare-earth product is safe and non-radioactive.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported Deputy Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Abu Bakar Mohamad Diah saying that the spilled chemical substance was not registered in the hazardous category.

"Road users and local residents need not worry because the chemical substance is non-hazardous," he told reporters after launching a tree planting programme organised by Standard Chartered Bank in Klebang, Malacca.

Abu Bakar said the chemical substance to be exported to Japan did not endanger life, including marine life such as fish.

In the incident at 9am, 13 out of 15 drums containing PrND chloride fell onto the road, with four broken, after the lorry crashed on its way from Gebeng, Kuantan to Port Klang.