KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 ― International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed took Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh to task today over what he claimed were misleading statements made in Parliament and accused the opposition of being selective in terms of safety information.
This comes after Fuziah said yesterday that the minister was like a spokesperson for Australian rare earth company Lynas and that Mustapa (picture) should not simply follow the advice of officials but should be alert and careful.
“I have been patient in dealing with Fuziah’s challenges,” he said in a press conference. “I respect her as a woman and as an MP but it looks like she does not respect me. Her words were very crude but I didn’t respond as that would have made the situation more tense.”
Fuziah had also said yesterday that the minister should have entered into direct discussions with her but had never done so.
Mustapa rebutted her assertions and said that he had earlier offered to meet Fuziah on May 3 but she was the one who had cancelled at the last minute.
“She has a closed mind and does want to accept (the facts),” he said, adding that he had met with other parties including NGO’s and community leaders.
Mustapa also claimed that Fuziah had alleged in Parliament that a pre-operating licence has been given.
“As a matter of fact, it (the pre-operating licence) has not been given yet,” he said. “As far as we know they have not yet fulfilled the conditions set out by the Atomic Energy Licensing Board.”
Mustapa also noted that Fuziah had said that PAS had reviewed its position that it would depend on its expert Hulu Langat MP and nuclear scientist Che Rosli Che Mat for advice on the Lynas issue after the latter apparently said that Kuantan residents have nothing to fear.
“They (the opposition) will choose to use information only when it suits them,” he later told reporters.
The PKR MP has been a vocal critic of the Lynas rare earth refinery in Kuantan that is under construction while Mustapa has been the main spokesperson for the government as the project involves foreign investment.
The rare earth refinery being built in the Gebeng industrial zone has raised fears of radiation pollution among local residents and environmental activists although Lynas has refuted claims of radiation pollution and assured that Kuantan residents would face “zero exposure.”
The Australian company said that its plant — which will extract rare earth metals crucial for high-technology products like smartphones, hybrid cars and wind turbines — will create a RM4 billion multiplier effect annually and 350 jobs for skilled workers.
Although reports say the plant may earn RM8 billion for Lynas, critics have questioned the real economic benefit of the project, pointing to the 12-year tax break Lynas will enjoy due to its pioneer status.
Putrajaya has defended the project as a strategic industry for Malaysia and expects RM2.3 billion in investment spinoffs from the plant.
The Sydney Morning Herald reported today that Lynas expects a pre-operating licence for its controversial plant to be issued by the end of the year.
