The Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) announcement of a temporary operating licence (TOL) by Lynas (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, effective for a two-year period from Sept 3 this year, shows that the only alternative left to close down the Lynas plant is to replace BN. The AELB’s assurances that Lynas had made a commitment to remove from Malaysia the Water Leach Purification residue arising from the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (Lamp) project, is an empty meaningless one when Lynas has refused to state where or which country the residue would be going to.
Further such removal of toxic or radioactive residue contravenes international covenants of its removal from one country to another, such as the Basel Convention, unless it is returned to its source. Returning to its source is impossible when Australia has declared that it would not accept back the rare earth residue mined from Western Australia. Where then would Lynas to find a country willing to accept millions of tonnes of its waste unless of course it is the the backyard of the homes of BN Ministers?
Clearly DAP took the correct decision in asking PR to boycott the Parliamentary Select Committee set up by BN in March 20 this year on Lynas as it would merely whitewash and reinforce the claim by the BN government that a TOL should be issued as all safety concerns and standards has been satisfied with. MCA and Gerakan has once again shown they are mere puppets and lackeys of UMNO by only parroting blindly what UMNO said.
By failing to listen to the concerns of the people, BN highlights the contrasting environmental approaches between PR that wants the Lynas closed down. BN has still not explained why Lynas enjoys a 12-year tax holiday for building a plant that threatens our health when Lynas should be paying a penalty tax instead?
That the BN Government has no hesitation to issue the TOL to Lynas even before the general elections showing its committment towards Lynas and profits over the people’s health. Clearly should BN win, Lynas would operate fully without any restrictions followed by the building of 2 nuclear reactors in BN-controlled states. The 2 year Temporary Operating License(TOL) to Lynas Rare Earth Plant leaves Malaysians no choice but to choose health and public safety over profits and 2 nuclear reactors by replacing the BN with a PR government.
—-Mandarin Version —-
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2012年9月8日在吉隆坡发表声明：
莱纳斯最终获得为期两年的临时运作执照，让马来西亚人别无选择，通过改朝换代，以争取本身的健康及公共安全，而不是利润及两座核电厂。
原子能执照局宣布发出为期两年的临时运作执照予莱纳斯（马）有限公司，今年9月3日起生效。这显示关闭莱纳斯工厂的唯一办法就是改朝换代。原子能执照局保证说，莱纳斯已经保证把稀土提炼厂所产生的水沥滤净化固体废料输出大马，这是毫无意义的，因为莱纳斯拒绝说明他们会把有关废料运到哪里？哪一个国家？
再说，输出这种有毒或辐射性废料有违国际公约如巴塞尔公约，那就是不能跨国界输送有毒废料，除非是输回到来源地。至于把有毒废料输回澳洲更是不可能，因为澳洲已经宣布他们绝不会把从西澳开采的稀土废料接回国。那么，莱纳斯要去找什么国家接受上千万吨的废料？除非他们准备把废料埋在国阵部长们的家后院。
很明显地，民主行动党在今年3月20日号召民联抵制国阵成立的莱纳斯国会遴选委员会，做了正确的确定， 当时我们认为上述遴委会只是漂白及补充国阵政府的机制，即当局应该在莱纳斯满足所有的安全考量及标准后，发出临时执照。马华及民政再一次证明他们只是巫统的傀儡及应声虫。
国阵不愿意听取民意，显露了国阵与民联的不同，民联要的是关闭莱纳斯。国阵还没有解释为何莱纳斯要兴建的是一座威胁人民健康的工厂，他们不但不需缴付任何惩罚性税务，反而可以享有12年的免税？
国阵政府在全国大选前，不顾反对发出临时执照给莱纳斯，证明他们把莱纳斯及利益摆第一，妄顾人民健康。如果国阵胜利，莱纳斯将可以通畅无阻地运作，国阵也会在国阵州属兴建两座核电厂。莱纳斯最终获得为期两年的临时运作执照，让马来西亚人别无选择，通过改朝换代，以争取本身的健康及公共安全，而不是莱纳斯的利益及两座核电厂。
林冠英