Shareholders of Australian mining firm Lynas Corp today came face-to-face with allegations over its rare earth plant in Gebeng, Pahang, at their Sydney annual general meeting when Malaysians spoke from the floor to expose potentially disastrous issues surrounding the plant 25km from Kuantan.

Semambu's Lee Chean Chung with members of Himpunan Hijau and Save Malaysia Stop Lynas in Sydney Tan Bun Teet of Save Malaysia - Stop Lynas (SMSL) painted Lynas as a company that plays loose with facts, avoids direct answers and potentially offers great financial pain to investors.

Semambu assemblyperson Lee Chean Chung, accompanying Tan at the AGM, alleged that Lynas may not be above shoring up the election coffers of BN.

Just outside the AGM, and before bemused Sydney residents, Lynas was described variously as tyrannical capitalism at its worst, a company that ruthlessly mines a third-world nation whose people have long abandoned hope that their government will shield them from environmental disaster, serious health issues and even loss of life.

Surrounding the controversy is the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (Lamp) near Kuantan, where the miner is processing rare earths dug up from Western Australia.

The process in Kuantan creates radioactive wastes that Western Australia will not allow Lynas to send back from Malaysia.

At the very centre of the issue is just how far behind the Australian miner is from outlining definite plans for the permanent disposal facility (PDF), which should be designed to convert the waste into materials universally accepted as 'safe'.

The PDF should have been built more than a year ago.

Tan, who was reluctantly allowed into Lynas for the right to address today's AGM, asked non-executive chairperson Nick Curtis how the miner would pay for the PDF, and how much it planned to invest in the facility.

It was a stark question, given that the company's share price has been on a steeply downward slide.

"Nick is a word master," Tan said, as he told Malaysiakini that Curtis simply evaded giving a direct answer.

NONE "But, he was either twisting the facts, or not answering at all." Curtis stepped down as CEO and executive chairperson last March.

Tan and other Malaysians distributed printed materials relating to the 1.2 million Malaysians who signed in support of the anti-Lynas campaign, last year's 300km Green Walk , at which 20,000 citizens eventually marched from Kuantan to Kuala Lumpur, and the 36-day Dataran Merdeka camp-out that drew the million-plus signatories.

"The majority foundation shareholders of Lynas," Tan claimed today, "were die-hard supporters of the company. But there was anger among minority investors, and they are now more aware."

'Democratic deficit' in Malaysia

Assemblyperson Lee told the AGM of "hearsay" that pointed to Lynas donating money to BN's election campaign, "and Lynas denied it".

Lee also said that his presence, together with 1.2 million signatory Malaysians, clearly showed how great is the concern of Malaysians over the plant and inadequate plans for disposal of its dangerous wastes.

He told Malaysiakini later: "My presence helped give validity to the claims of SMSL and Himpunan Hijau over the Lynas plant."

Excluding the rare earths output in China, the Kuantan Lamp is projected to meet more than 30 percent of the global demand for the mineral.

Lamp, the world's largest rare earths refinery, the first in nearly three decades to be finished outside China, was built less than 30km from the nearest community, and will require a massive amount of water and acid to safely process ore, according to SMSL.

Apart from long-term damage to - if not devastation of - fishing and farming communities in the wider area surrounding Kuantan, SMSL quotes from published reports to warn of the high risk of various forms of cancer to people in the vicinity, as well as unacceptably high air and water pollution.

NSW Greens Party MP Jamie Parker in anti-lynas protest in sydney NSW Greens Party MP Jamie Parker ( left ), a stalwart supporter of the anti-Lynas campaign, reminded the crowd outside the AGM that "the only reason Lynas is operating in Malaysia is because of the democratic deficit there".

Speaking on a rain-soaked Pitt Street sidewalk just across The Establishment, the hotel-venue for the Lynas AGM, Mr Parker said: "1.2 million Malaysians know there is no transparency and openness on environmental matters in Malaysia.

"Australian investors who are ethical should not be investing in Lynas. They should be made aware their investment is at risk because Lynas may be called to book.

"We have to stop Lynas, for Malaysians and for its investors."

Also addressing the Stop Lynas crowd was Thulsi Narayanasamy, director of Aidwatch, a NGO that keeps close tabs on federal government aid for Australian companies overseas.

The Australian-born, whose ethnic Indian parents hail from Penang and Taiping, said Canberra allocates A$127 million of taxpayers' funds for such aid every year.

She said Lynas, an Australian company operating abroad, "is completely disregarding a groundswell of opposition in Malaysia".

"Australia needs to take some responsibility for the activity of our big businesses before promoting their interests abroad.

"The government has to step in and impose best-practice principles."

Sleep-in outside Lynas HQ

For Malaysians in the wider anti-Lynas campaign, the clock to this morning's AGM began ticking last Tuesday, when six members of Himpunan Hijau left Malaysia for Sydney, to begin a round-the-clock sidewalk sleep-out just outside the Lynas HQ.

They hit the pavement soon after touchdown.

Braving intermittently hot, humid, wet and cold weather, Himpunan Hijau chairperson Wong Tack, secretary Bang Seet Ping, treasurer Winson Ooi, with committee members Connie Chong, RaFar Ahmad and Tham Chee Weng, have passed their time distributing leaflets, napping on sleeping bags, using the toilets of a nearby McDonald's and The Republic hotel, and occasionally dealing with the well-suited professional.

NONE They have otherwise never left that street corner. "This is no sightseeing tour," Wong said.

The Himpunan Hijau members have also been warmed by the hospitality of Malaysians from Sydney and Brisbane, and the restaurateurs among them, who have delivered ‘tah-pau’ (takeaway) favourites like char kway-teow, Hainan chicken rice and stir-fried radish cake, or simply brought their company, admiration and support to these tenacious Malaysians.

One Malaysian family, reading of the sleep-out on Facebook , traveled about 50km over more than an hour, with three children in tow, to deliver a home-baked chocolate cake and show their solidarity. They returned the next day with fruits and water.

Said Bang, when asked about coping with the elements: "After walking 300k and camping 36 days at Dataran Merdeka, this is nothing.

"Lynas shareholders will lose their money. Our children will lose their land. I am doing this for our children."

Malaysian Lum Chan-Theng, a mechanical design engineer, signed off from work in Brisbane today, flew in during the early hours and was set for returning from Sydney tonight.

"I just had to join my fellow Malaysians at the protest," he said, before adding: "I will go back to vote in GE14."

Permanent resident Chloe Lok has regularly visited the protestors after office hours. "They've travelled 4,000 miles. We need to help them, to continue the fight until the day Lynas gets out of our land, our tanah air."

Lok left Malaysia three years ago. Today she says: "Leaving is no solution."

Wong said: "Lynas has had enough time, but we are now giving them until June 29 next year to build a PDF. If they fail to do this, we, the rakyat of Malaysia, will close down the plant.

"That is not a threat. It's real."

WILLIAM DE CRUZ is a Malaysian who lives in Sydney with his family. He intends to return to vote in GE14.