KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 ― Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh has been appointed to chair the federal government’s evaluation committee on Australian miner Lynas’ rare earths refinery in Pahang.

Her three-month tenure starts September 24 and was reported today by The Star, which cited a September 19 appointment letter.

Now a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Fuziah had been at the forefront of protests against the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) in Gebeng when it first opened in 2008.

She had called for its closure then, fearing health and environmental hazards posed by radiation emitted in the processing plant following news reports of scares from China, the world’s biggest refiner of rare earths minerals.

National news agency Bernama reported Lynas Corporation CEO Amanda Lacaze saying in July that the Australian company will cooperate following buzz of another evaluation panel under the new Pakatan Harapan government.

The previous Barisan Nasional administration had reviewed LAMP in the early days following initial protests.

The Star reported Australian High Commissioner to Malaysia Andrew Goledzinowski saying last Tuesday at a tea hosted by Lynas here that it would be a tragedy if the plant were forced to shutter as many locals would be jobless, and Malaysia’s reputation as an investment draw would be hurt.

On its website, Lynas said it employs some 600 Malaysians at its plant here.