The coalition of student movements calling itself Gerakan Mahasiswa Selamatkan Rakyat (GMSR) has embarked on a series of roadshows in Kuala Lumpur to spread the word about the dangers of the controversial Lynas plant in Gebeng, Kuantan.

NONE Comprising student groups such as Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM), Pro Mahasiswa Nasional and groups from various universities, the roadshows kicked off in Masjid Jamek LRT station in the heart of the city yesterday morning, and ended at the Suhakam building at Putrajaya in the afternoon, where they then held a press conference.

“The issue of the Lynas plant in Gebang has still not found a solution able to relieve the rakyat’s concerns,” said GMSR chairperson Ramzul Nasri Kamaruzaman in a statement yesterday after the event.

“Solidariti Mahasiswa Malaysia (SMM) maintains that the student community fully supports the Gebeng residents’ stand against the building of the rare earth plant in their neighbourhood,” said the student leader.

Earlier this week the movement held their roadshows in Gebeng town itself, during which they said they found that nearly 99 percent of the 400 respondents met objected to the plant.

NONE “Thus SMM in collaboration with 11 student groups is continuing the movement to save the rakyat of Gebeng, on Sat July 30 in KL,” said Ramzul.

Through their awareness programme they aim to disseminate information about the controversy to the general public, in the belief that it is the people’s right to take a stand on the plant.

Ramzul added that not only was the plant a serious health risk to the surrounding residents, but would adversely affect the economy in the vicinity as well.

“We saw this for ourselves when we visited Gebeng in June, where we were told that the local property sector has plunged in value as much as 75 percent,” he said.

What public consultation?

Meanwhile a local NGO opposing the plant, the Kuantan Environmental Watch Group, has criticised the Australian company for failing to fulfil its requirement to keep the public informed, to ally public concerns, as stipulated in the Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommendations.

dap protest against lynas 150511 03 drama Soo Jin Hou in a statement yesterday slammed Lynas for omitting critical information in its latest quarterly report on July 28.

He says while Lynas plans to submit a safety case work as well as the updated Radiological Impact Assessment (RIA) to AELB for approval in August 2011, the company omitted that it had already submitted the long term waste management as well as the decommissioning plans to AELB on July 18.

“Unfortunately, up to today (July 30), AELB and Lynas have not disclosed these plans to the public, nor have they engaged the local communities in formulating them.  

NONE “Paradoxically, their aloofness is precisely what the third recommendation intends to address whereby Lynas is ‘urged to intensify its communication with interested and affected parties in order to demonstrate how it will ensure the radiological safety of the public and the environment.’”

Soo adds, “AELB is doing an abysmal job in public engagement as most of the updates are obtained from Lynas’ filings to the Australian Securities Exchange!”

He also notes that the award for Phase 2 of the plant construction works has been awarded to Toyo-Thai Corporation for US$180-210 million, “even before their plans were submitted to the AELB”.

“It is as if Lynas has some implicit assurance from the government that the final verdict will be favourable to them,” said Soo.