Cabinet will have final say on Lynas, says Dr M
The cabinet will have the final say on the issue of the Australian rare-earth mining company Lynas, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
His remarks come after two ministers made contradictory statements about the waste management of Lynas...
The cabinet will have the final say on the issue of the Australian rare-earth mining company Lynas, said Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
His remarks come after two ministers made contradictory statements about the waste management of Lynas.
"There may be differences, but that is normal. What is determined by the cabinet is official," Mahathir told a press conference in Putrajaya today.
Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin had said that Lynas' radioactive Water Leach Purification (WLP) waste must be sent out of the country.
However, Entrepreneur Development Minister Redzuan Yusof then claimed that Yeo's position was not endorsed by the cabinet.
He said the cabinet had decided to allow Lynas to continue operating in Malaysia, but the waste issue was a separate matter to be addressed.
The minister added that the government has yet to make a collective decision to send the waste back to Australia as that would need a bilateral understanding.
Read more: Is groundwater under Lynas plant high in heavy metals? Yes, but…
On a separate issue, Mahathir said it is up to the authorities to investigate Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Salahuddin Ayub's aide who was arrested for allegedly receiving a luxury watch from a developer as gratification.
"If he did something wrong, then it is up to (the authorities) to investigate. If he accepted something before he joined the government, that is his problem.
"Only if you are in the government you are not allowed to accept anything. Even if you accepted a gift 10 years ago it is wrong, if you are in the government," he added.
