IPOH, Sept 28 — The Perak government has asked the opposition party to stop confusing the people and spreading false information regarding the mining of non-radioactive rare earth element (NR-REE) lanthanide in Gerik, which is claimed to be radioactive.
Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the opposition, in fact, had sufficient information regarding the matter.
“They (the opposition) must not pretend to forget because the NR-REE mining began during Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) time, then under Perikatan Nasional (PN) and I am just continuing it.
“Enough of trying to play politics to gain support, stop this drama of inciting and scaring the people about this, although I expected them to do this.
“My advice is enough. They claim that they did not get the information and that the issue was not discussed with the opposition’s elected representatives... this means they must have been sleeping during the state assembly sitting,” he said when met after officiating the closing of the Perak Sejahtera Oratory competition for the Perak Mentri Besar Cup, near here, today.
Yesterday, Pasir Pinji state assemblyman Howard Lee Chuan How, when speaking at the Reject BN-PN Tour programme in Kampung Manjoi here, expressed concern that the lanthanide mining project would have radioactive effects like what happened in Bukit Merah, Menglembu once.
In fact, Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) Perak chairman Datuk Asmuni Awi, during a press conference at the same programme, said there had been no engagement sessions with the opposition’s elected representatives on the mining project.
Saarani added that the government had given an assurance that the rare earth element was safe to be mined and would not have radioactive effects as claimed by the opposition.
“Our stand is clear and firm that if the mineral mined has radioactive substances, then it will not be carried out. I am not a leader who is ready to put people’s health and lives at risk.
“We will not do that just to find new sources of income,” he said. — Bernama
