The Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (Lamp) located in Gebeng, Kuantan, poses no danger whatsoever to human life, argued former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

"To say that Lynas is dangerous to human life is sheer nonsense," Mahathir said in his keynote address at a forum in Putrajaya today.

"Rare earths are used to make the lithium-ion batteries that are in our phones, which we put to our ears.

"If it is dangerous, then we would all be without brains," jibed the former premier.

Mahathir was speaking at the Perdana Leadership Foundation's Perdana Discourse Series 15 themed 'The Future of Affirmative Action'.

He claimed that some parties, that liked nothing better than to plunge Malaysia into the chaos of street demonstrations, would not shy away from playing up non-issues such as the "harmless" rare earths refinery into something more.

He further argued that street demonstrations held by electoral reform coalition Bersih were also without valid grounds.

However, he said that demonstrations in Malaysia were not of large scale and were largely free from violence.