Thursday 4 October 2018

Lynas' worries - the risk of not being factual and objective

Lynas is apparently back in the news.

A friend pointed this to me today,

An open letter from Lynas to 
the government and people of Malaysia

excerpts

Despite the company’s excellent record of compliance, according to recent media reports, a Lynas Malaysia review committee has been formed. These reports state it will be chaired by a person who openly admits to being anti-Lynas. From media reports, this person has been quoted as stating it will not be an independent review. To date, Lynas has seen media reports about this review committee. However, we have not been notified of the membership of this review committee, the scope of the review or the terms of reference of this committee.

So, basically the government has set up a committee headed by Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh and Lynas was scared that it will be bias against it.

I think the company's worries are justifiable because Fuziah herself is indeed very anti-Lynas.

She built her campaign for the Kuantan parliamentary seat during the general election in 2013 mostly based on the Lynas issue.

Just look at this video she did back in 2011, at the height of the anti-Lynas protests when she said the rare-earth processed by the company will turn humans and other living things in Kuantan into mutants,


That's scary isn't it?

I mean, I'm scared of her after watching the video.

Back then, Lynas won a court case to continue its operations after even the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said its plant and operations were safe. 

And true enough, till now there's no case of mutants of any kind reported in Kuantan.

In fact the Lynas issue hardly ever surfaced after the general election in 2013 till the recent one in May.

Therefore I believe all the noises before that were mostly politically motivated instead of them really being concerns about the environment.

I'm quite familiar with Kuantan myself having spent many weekends there over the years. In fact I love the place more than anywhere else in Malaysia, 

And I find the place to be still the same since Lynas' plant operates there six years ago.

There were quite a lot of complaints sometimes back over bauxite mining there but that's got nothing to do with Lynas.

I really thought that it was a dead issue after GE13.

So, I was quite surprised that suddenly Lynas became an issue again now.

And honestly, I found it a bit weird that Fuziah is the one being appointed to lead the committee because she is actually a deputy minister in charge of religion now.

I don't think Lynas has anything to do with religion.

Why didn't the government appoint the environment minister to lead the committee instead since it was said that the committee was set up because of environmental concerns?

At least that way we can be more assured that the people reviewing Lynas know about science and technology and will base their findings on facts instead of anything else.

This is what the Malaysia Australia Business Council asked on this matter the other day,

Lynas Malaysia review should be 

transparent, evidence based


excerpts;

“While the government’s right to conduct a review of the operations is not questioned, it is important that such a review should be to assess any breaches of its licence or for not meeting acceptable international standards.
“The credibility of the review, including the composition of the review team and the terms of reference, is critical to ensure that it does not damage Malaysia’s reputation as a stable and open investment destination,” it said.
MABC said Malaysia has long been regarded as an attractive investment destination because of its reliable legal framework, predictable economic, political and policy environment, and demonstrated openness to investment from the government and the local business community.
Australian businesses have invested almost RM30 billion in Malaysia as of end-2017, across a range of productive economic sectors, including manufacturing, services, agribusiness, resources and the digital economy.
“This investment has created thousands of jobs for Malaysians and helped boost the country’s economic development, intellectual property and skills base,” it added.
Well, I think it was a fair request. They just want things to be done properly and by the right people.

I guess, they probably had seen that Fuziah's video and worried quite a bit too.

Someone who made such a video may not be the right person to lead the review in an objective and professional manner.

As pointed out, the outcome of the review may have quite an impact on investors' confidence, not only for those from Australia, but also elsewhere in the world.

Hopefully the government will take note of this and reconsider their decision on who should be in the committee and how it's going to go about with the review.

Here's a video on this issue that you may want to watch,



89 comments:

  1. Such committee needs to be constituted by peoples of certain expertise in the related subject matter. You are talking about some technical issues, not a 'gotong royong mencuci longkang'. I have not been following on this issue, but wonder who form the committee in the first place. In this era, we need to be proffessional in our action and not just pick up any minah, ah lian and kumari.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The greedy fellas at Lynas and the previous Najib administration have not learnt the lessons of Bukit Merah.

    Some of the surviving residents of Bukit Merah are still plagued with severe health problems where the radioactive waste was responsible for the sudden escalation of health problems among the residents.

    The site in Bukit Merah is declared as a restricted and dangerous dump site for radioactive materials.

    The Lynas project is likely to be a replay of the Asian Rare Earth fiasco in Bukit Merah but on a much larger scale.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Bukit Merah happened over a course of five years in the 1980s. Najib has yet came to power at that time. Dr Mahathir was the PM. Are you saying he and his government were at fault? Lynas has been in operation for more than six years and so far there has been no problem. I believe they are not repeating the same mistake.

      Delete
    2. No problem my foot. Such negative effects will manifest later on... years later. That's why the Australian govt did not grant Lynas to do the same thing in Australua. Only dumbass fellas still want to take risk after what happened to Bukit Merah

      Delete
    3. I think that should be decided by an independent and professional committee headed by someone who is not going to be bias or have political agenda. Thank you.

      Delete
    4. Anonymous5 October 2018 at 13:53

      Here's a question from a Lynas Q&A.....

      Q12: Mr. A lives in Balok, 3km from Gebeng. Mr. B lives in Kuantan, 30km from Gebeng. Mr. C lives in KL, 300km from Gebeng. Can the radioactive materials endanger them?

      In short, the answer is NO for all of them if they stay more than 100 metres away from radioactive materials. But, the answer is YES for all three if they consumed these harmful substances, even if they stay hundreds of kilometres away. WHY? The radiation emitted in Gebeng doesn’t travel long distance to harm us, hence if you stand a short distance away from the materials without consuming it, all you will get is a slight radiation. Radon gas and lead in general do not affect our body externally, as we are protected by our skin. However, if these radioactive materials contaminate the solid waste, waste water and waste gas, they will be released to the atmosphere, water streams and eventually the food chain. Once the radioactive materials enter the human body via inhalation, ingestion and wound penetration, the radiation, radon and lead will be released inside the body and these can cause very serious consequences.

      So...safety is 101% paramount.

      Delete
    5. It took China over 30 years to realise the danger of rare earth disaster in the Bayan Obo region of Inner Mongolia. Industrial pollution especially radioactive materials take decades to show signs of problems. Heavy metals and chemicals too will take time to accumulate high enough in quantity to have an impact. The risk of cancer and genetic defects is higher if our surrounding, water supply and food chain are contaminated. Even in Bukit Merah, the plant started operating in the 1970s and it was not until the late 80s and 90s that health issues surfaced. The video was a satire and of course it was deliberately twisted to drive home the points in an extreme way.

      Delete
  3. Annie,

    I think the problem with the Lynas plant is that we were simply not confident of the various environmental assessments which were made under the previous UMNO govt.

    If the Lynas plant was as clean as we are told, why doesn't Lynas set up the plant in Australia, where the ore is mined?

    The reason for that, I think, is that such a plant will be prohibitively expensive to run in Australia if ALL Australian regulations were met.

    So, is a deputy minister of religion the right person to lead an inquiry into Lynas?

    Hm, probably not BUT Fuziah does have a vested interest in Lynas given that her seat was won on an anti-Lynas campaign.

    And she has been campaigning against Lynas for quite a while now, so I am sure she is quite familiar with the issues involved despite being a deputy minister of religion.

    I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt, for the time being.

    My only concern here is whether the inquiry will be open and transparent and fair, and whether the findings will be available for the public to scrutinise.

    I have always been in two minds over the Lynas plant.

    On the one hand, I think a rare-earths processing plant is a great idea and can bring huge economic benefits to Malaysia.

    On the other hand, I worry about the safety aspects of such a plant and the ability of authorities to monitor the operations of the plant.

    Gladiator

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lynas and the MABC only requested for the committee to be proper and not bias. If that can be assured then I believe they will accept any finding by the committee. After that, if the Lynas plant is found to be dangerous as claimed by Fuziah and gang, then by all means please shut it down. Fair, right?

      Delete
    2. Yes, Annie, you also cut & paste it below : )

      There are two issues here: One is that because Fuziah has previously campaigned against Lynas in Kuantan, she may not be objective.

      However, the panel is composed of technical experts who need to assess WHY initially this plant was even approved if it was lacking in the most basic safety criteria.

      It has 10 members, all of whom are not politicians.

      That’s the important second issue. Why did the story keep changing and is the plant now safe for the people of Kuantan?

      Fuziah said:

      “On the scope of the review, she said the committee would be looking at the previous government’s policies regarding Lynas.

      “We are going to open the files and find out what happened to those plans of managing the rare earth waste processing. The previous government said it would be sent back, then the plan changed to a permanent disposal facility and now Lynas wants to recycle its waste.

      “We want to know what happened in between all those plans,” said Fuziah.

      The committee is made up of 10 members who are experts in public health, chemical process engineering and international law, among others.”

      To me, it’s fine.

      It’s like saying that because almost every PH politician whacked 1MDB, therefore we cannot have any justice now for the rakyat. A change of gomen means all appointees are by the new gomen, right? I trust them to do a better job than the Misai Suruhan from Petronas who ran the “independent RCI” on Forex before PRU14 : )

      The committee of ten experts may still give Lynas green light. Let's wait and see...

      Delete
    3. So far I only know two members of the committees have been made public- Fuziah and Bentong MP Wong Tack - both leaders of the anti-Lynas protest pre-GE13. Same gang.

      Delete
    4. Let's wait to see the other members.

      After all, the issue is largely a scientific one.

      The determining factor should be public health and safety.

      This can only be established via expert evidence, not PKR politicians yelling in the committee.

      Also, the full report should be made public.

      Delete
    5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
    6. Sorry, can't publish that because it's without evidence and could be deemed as defamatory.

      Delete
  4. Annie,

    "Lynas' worries - the risk of not being factual and objective"

    Yes, if you were factual and objective, you might like to be clear to your readers that the "open letter" is actually from…

    ...the CEO of Lynas.

    LOL.....

    So, like messages about anti-corruption from Najib Razak or health reassurances from CEOs of tobacco companies, we need to take it with a pinch of salt.

    Lynas became controversial for this reason.

    It was granted a “temporary” operating licence (valid for TWO YEARS) by the Malaysian authorities although it had not carried out a Detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) or even a Health Impact Assessment (HIA). Yes, a lot of rules and regulations were happily bypassed by the BN gomen as long as someone made lots of cash.

    Worse, it had no permanent disposal facility (PDF) has been built to store the wastes. The building of such a facility had been recommended by a panel of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency. There was zero long term waste management plan.

    So what?

    Well, let’s never forget the predecessor of Lynas - the Bukit Merah plant. That was a tragedy that cost RM300 million just to clean up the closed-down plant, and the deaths of eight plant workers from leukaemia caused by thorium, a byproduct of the refining process.

    Lynas just came in and set up shop in a 3rd world, corrupt country, hoping the ignorant locals (we live in trees, kan?) would not make much of a fuss.

    Here’s the irony.

    After the locals proved not to be so stupid, Lynas tried to set up an arrangement to ship all the toxic by-products back to Australia.

    Australia told them to fuck off.

    “Robin Chapple MLC, Greens spokesperson for Mining Issues, commented on Lynas’ recent move: “It seems that again Lynas thinks it is outside the law as it is operating in Malaysia, and may be subject to less rigorous legal scrutiny. Well, it isn’t, and if it thinks that Western Australia will take this radioactive waste, it can think again.

    “It didn’t consult with community on shipping its radioactive ores through Fremantle port, and it certainly hasn’t consulted on shipping back the radioactive waste. The WA Nuclear Waste Storage (Prohibition) Act 1999 prohibits it here. Period!”

    So there’s laws in their home country that prohibit these substances.

    Better to find some 3rd world, corrupt country whose leaders are addicted to kontrak2 and kickbacks.

    Naturally, the Najib-era Malaysia was perfect.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Please read the words of the post carefully before commenting and try to understand them. Thank you.

      Delete
    2. All fully understood : )

      What point are you trying to make, specifically?

      Thank you.

      Delete
    3. My point is....here, I cut and paste again this earlier answer. Hope you don't mind.

      Lynas and the MABC only requested for the committee to be proper and not bias. If that can be assured then I believe they will accept any finding by the committee. After that, if the Lynas plant is found to be dangerous as claimed by Fuziah and gang, then by all means please shut it down. Fair, right?

      Delete
  5. Lynas is from Australia.

    Why are they building the largest rare earth refining plant outside of China in Malaysia instead of Australia?

    This process is hazardous and carries with it a hell of a lot of pollutants. Just imagaine the amount of waste it will produce.

    The guys who approved it in the first place must be crazy. As usual, PH government is now left having to deal with this crap approved by the previous government.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sorry, I cut and paste this from an earlier reply. Hope you are okay with it. Thank you.

      Lynas and the MABC only requested for the committee to be proper and not bias. If that can be assured then I believe they will accept any finding by the committee. After that, if the Lynas plant is found to be dangerous as claimed by Fuziah and gang, then by all means please shut it down. Fair, right?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous5 October 2018 at 11:53

      As Annie did not answer your query, let me try:

      "Why are they building the largest rare earth refining plant outside of China in Malaysia instead of Australia?"

      The answer is that Australia and most developed nations have very detailed laws and regulations governing the setting up and operation of hazardous facilities.

      So much so, that Australia rejected an effort by Lynas to ship its by-products back there. The WA Nuclear Waste Storage (Prohibition) Act 1999 does not allow import of the stuff that the Kuantan plant produces as a by-product.

      Many Western countries hence choose the 3rd world as an alternative.

      You can be very sure that in Australia, there is zero chance of getting approval for such a plant next to a town like Kuantan.






      Delete
    3. Okay, let's say the PH government is good and not like the evil BN one. Why not set a committee which is professional and independent to review Lynas. As I put it, if the plant is then found (based on facts and evidence) to be dangerous then shut it down lah. Nobody will complain. Isn't that better than appointing Fuziah and gang who were clearly anti-Lynas to the committeee? If we want to be of the same standard as Australia, why not invite Australian experts to be part of the committee too. Last time they got the IAEA to do it, but I guess the UN organisation was not good enough.

      Delete
    4. Annie,

      You invite the Australians, they'd say just do it in Malaysia but not in Australia.

      Delete
    5. Annie,

      I replied to that first point above^^^^^

      It's not so accurate to say "Fuziah and gang". She was chosen because she's the most familiar with the issue’s background. The rest of the committee are not her "gang". They are experts in public health, chemical process engineering and international law, among others. They may still approve Lynas, who knows? I don’t think Fuziah can overrule 10 expert opinions. Aussie experts? Why not? As long as not affiliated with Lynas.

      As for IAEA approval, that was thought highly suspect even at the time:

      http://write2rest.blogspot.com/2012/03/lynas-what-were-iaea-experts-thinking.html?view=timeslide

      Far more worrying was this inside expose by the New York Times (“KOMPLOT YAHUDI!!!!!!!”, yeah, yeah, I know. Shame the WSJ was 100% correct on 1MDB : )

      Quote:

      “But the construction and design may have serious flaws, according to the engineers, who also provided memos, e-mail messages and photos from Lynas and its contractors. The engineers said they felt a professional duty to voice their safety concerns, but insisted on anonymity to avoid the risk of becoming industry outcasts.

      The problems they detail include structural cracks, air pockets and leaks in many of the concrete shells for 70 containment tanks, some of which are larger than double-decker buses. Ore mined deep in the Australian desert and shipped to Malaysia would be mixed with powerful acids to make a slightly radioactive slurry that would be pumped through the tanks, with operating temperatures of about 200 degrees Fahrenheit.

      The engineers also say that almost all of the steel piping ordered for the plant is made from standard steel, which they describe as not suited for the corrosive, abrasive slurry. Rare earth refineries in other countries make heavy use of costlier stainless steel or steel piping with ceramic or rubber liners.

      The engineers also say that the concrete tanks were built using conventional concrete, not the much costlier polymer concrete mixed with plastic that is widely used in refineries in the West to reduce the chance of cracks.

      Documents show that Lynas and its construction management contractor, UGL Ltd. of Australia, have argued with their contractors that the cracks and moisture in the concrete containment walls are not a critical problem.”

      Familiar story.

      Shortcuts taken in a 3rd world country.

      The Lynas CEO may not care, but the folks in Kuantan probably would.


      Delete
    6. So far I only know two members of the committees have been made public- Fuziah and Bentong MP Wong Tack - both leaders of the anti-Lynas protest pre-GE13. Same gang. As for the accussations, I think that should be decided by non-partisan experts and not politicians with political agenda.Thank you

      Delete
    7. Annie,

      The "accusations" as far as compromising the safety standards are not from politicians.

      They are engineers working on the project.

      It does remind me of all the problems surrounding KLIA2 and even the collapse of stadiuma and masjid that we have seen in recent years.

      If corners are cut (because it's cheaper), there is always a trade-off in terms of safety.

      I hope the committee will get site experts to examine all structures at the Lynas plant to ensure they are 100% up to international standards.

      People saying "cracks don't matter" is worrying.

      Delete
  6. Why is Annie wasting time harping on something that does more harm than good ?

    The fact is that most countries rejected Lynas including its home country of Australia which practises high degree of safety standard.

    Only Malaysia under Najib's regime that wish to take such unnecessary risk of putting its people in harm's way.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm making noise on this one because I thought we all want good governance. What's wrong with having a proper committee to decide on Lynas instead of some politicians playing on public sentiment. Thank you.

      Delete
    2. ooo ngatkan dapat elaun dr lynas....rajin plak amoi ni dok reply tiap2 komen....ajaib2...

      Delete
  7. Annie,

    //Lynas and the MABC only requested for the committee to be proper and not bias//

    Well, let's see if the inquiry will be open and transparent to public scrutiny.

    It will allow the public to decide if the inquiry was carried out fairly.

    I expect that Lynas will be robustly grilled by Fuziah but if the grilling was fair, I don't have a problem, even if it was perceived as being biased.

    As a member of the public, it is for me to decide whether it is fair or not - provided I can witness the going ons.

    Not much point if it was all held behind closed doors and nobody knows what is going on except a select few.

    //After that, if the Lynas plant is found to be dangerous as claimed by Fuziah and gang, then by all means please shut it down//

    And if Fuzaih and gang finds that Lynas has complied fully with all requirements and meets with all safety guidelines, and gives it the go-ahead, wouldn't that give the public much higher confidence in the plant operations?

    It works both ways, really.

    BUT it is crucial that the public can see what is going on in the inquiry.

    Maybe the inquiry could be televised, or the inquiry recorded and selected segments aired on TV3, a la what is happening in the US with the selection of that Kavanaugh fellow?

    We will see and hear EVERYTHING - from what is said to facial expressions to behaviour by participants, etc etc.

    Cannot run and nowhere to hide :)

    Maybe Mustapha Kamil could suggest how he would like to cover and report on such an inquiry :)

    MK certainly has all the resources at his beck and call now to provide top class coverage for such an important event :)

    I dare PH and Lynas to agree on letting Mustapha Kamil get involved :)

    Heheheheheheh!!

    Gladiator

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ya, why not let Mustapha Kamil himself cover this. You try get his number from Media Prima and ask him to do it. Or you can go to his FB page and suggest it to him.

      Delete
  8. Annie,

    //Or you can go to his FB page and suggest it to him.//

    Dont think I need to.

    I have a feeling that Mustapha Kamil may already know about it :)

    Gladiator

    ReplyDelete
  9. Have you seen any Kuantan folks become teenage mutant ninja turtles?
    Prof Kangkung

    ReplyDelete
  10. Azeez tabung haji's son arrested.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Whoever approved Lynas' project in Malaysia is crazy. We are the only country other than China that allows such harmful activities to be carried out by Lynas in its own shores.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How many Malaysians have been harmed by Lynas? You got such information?

      Delete
    2. Annie, if you are so damn sure there is no risk then why Lynas is prohibited from doing the same thing in Australia and so many other countries? Are you telling us you are smarter than these regulatory authorities using your sudden new found so called sense of governance?

      Delete
    3. I'm not sure. That's why I prefer the committee reviewing Lynas consists of professional and experts instead of politicians with vested interests. A good government should send the right people to do the job. Nothing sudden about wanting good governance.

      Delete
    4. The effects of radiation poisoning can show up only a generation later.

      No, you will not see people with three heads and five arms walking through Kuantan.

      Thorium and other radioactive isotopes are so lethal that the tiniest contamination can have serious health consequences.

      https://www.scalawagmagazine.org/2018/03/the-29-billion-nuclear-boondoggle-thats-poisoning-black-communities/

      We should not have a ticking time bomb so near a population centre.

      Most worrying is Lynas initially being so lax about cracks and substandard specs for the structures.

      This committee should engage independent on-site experts to check safety regularly and explain how radiation levels are going to be contained.

      Also note - the transport stage of the waste is where there is most likely to be an escape.


      Delete
    5. The professional experts already rejected Lynas in other countries. Only in Najib's bolehland it's approved with obvious vested interests.

      Delete
  12. Annie is contradicting herself. On the one hand she is blabbering on wanting good governance but in reality it is the gross lack of governance by the previous government in allowing Lynas to operate here in the first place. This mess was created by the previous government.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. If the prevpious government is bad, is it ok for the PH government to be bad too? Is Lynas a mess? If so please elaborate.

      Delete
    2. Annie, what happened to your sense of wanting good governance when the Najib govt approved the Lynas project in Malaysia when all other countries rejected Lynas'request including its home country Australia?

      Delete
    3. It was there. The experts who checked on it including from IAEA said it was ok. So I'm ok with it. Now the new government wants to review Lynas, so I say let's send the experts again to do it, not politicians with vested interests who are bias from the start.

      Delete
    4. You mean the experts appointed by Lynas? Come on Annie, we know how the approval was obtained locally. Lynas failed miserably when it came to international standards. It failed bigtime and got kicked out of Australia. Only China gave the nod and we all know how high the safety standards are in China don't we?

      Delete
    5. IAEA experts appointed by Lynas? I don't know that.i thought it's an independent UN body. Are you sure?

      Delete
    6. Annie, you obviously only just followed the Lynas story recently and now trying to divert attention from the real culprits that brought Lynas to Malaysia. Do some research first la before getting so excited about Fuziah's appointment.

      Delete
    7. Guess you have done your research and found that the IAEA experts were appointed by Lynas. Care to share where you got the info? And NO, I'm not excited about Fuziah's appointment. I prefer the Lynas review committee to be headed by an independent expert rather than a potentially bias politician with vested interest.

      Delete
    8. IAEA is not against nuclear technology and it is very much a pro-industrial agency criticised for its failure to prevent the Fukushima disaster - that it was built on earthquake prone area and has lax risk averse standard where its spent fuel rods were left to pile up in the facility and not disposed of because of cost saving. Apart from Fukushima, IAEA have been criticised for overlooking faults and problems in other facilities it has assessed and approved of. So we cannot rely on the IAEA to be a fair and independent agency in this case

      Delete
    9. Yes you are excited. It's obvious you have no credibility to talk about governance and want to latch on anything to divert from the fact that Lynas was rejected by all countries in this region except bolehland under Najib's watch.

      Delete
    10. So, you even know better than me when I'm excited....hmmmm. Actually, I don't want to latch on anything, Just want the Lynas review be done by experts and not politicians with vested interest. Sigh, have to repeat that as you don't seemed to get it.

      Delete
    11. Life of hypocritical Annie. Why didn't you raise the issue of governance BEFORE Lynas started such risky operations here when Lynas is an outcast everywhere else .

      Delete
    12. Should I respond to that? Nah...Im not in the business of educating idiots.

      Delete
    13. Looks like only idiots read your blog hehehe..It takes one to know one.

      Delete
  13. I cannot recall Fuziah making any statement about the bauxite problems in Kuantan. Any updates on that?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Whatever happens, let's not cuci tangan like KJ......

    "Former youth and sports minister Khairy Jamaluddin has urged the Public Works Department (JKR) and the contractor for the Mokhtar Dahari national football academy to take responsibility for the many defects found in the academy.

    Yesterday, Khairy’s successor Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman had visited the RM85 million facility and found an empty gym, a leaky ceiling, defective hydrotherapy pools and classrooms void of tables and chairs."

    Aiyooooooo....

    Hello, ministers need to take responsibility!

    If cracks in Lynas...

    ...think of the consequences.



    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anon 14:33

      I agree. These ministers will be long gone by then and the cracks risks and mishaps have to be shouldered by the rakyat

      Delete

    2. yes, bout linas….wat is d risk rating here? i mean d potential risk of harms or injuries not d risk managing talks itself. d 1st one is extremely high n d latter is abstract n highly assumptive...can argue until kingdom comes. to me la,..simply put..i wont hire python to catch rats in my house…even professionally tamed!

      Delete
  15. All those shit left by the previous government and those involved including Lynas, KJ (football academy) have to cleaned up by the present government

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anon 15:37

      Padan muka kamu.. Dah nak sangat nape mengeluh? Malas nak clean up move on n bring in new ideas la..

      Ni habuk pun tarak.. ceh. Janji2 habuk pun tak nampak juga..

      Dah lima BULAN .. blur aje. Dah pergi berapa Negara, sekadar mengacum dan melabur air lioq, habuk pun tara dapat..

      Professor Nasi Lemak

      Delete
    2. Eh...Prof Pokpek Parrot baru keluar ke atau tunggu dedak baru keluar...maklumlah dedak slow sikit bab duit Najib rosmah kena guna bayar bail dulu...kahkahkah

      Delete
    3. Anon 19:38
      Takde modal lain ke? Kalau dah kaki bohong, pi mai pi mai tang tu juga.. dedak, 1MDB, Najib n Rosmah.. putar kot leghah tu memang lopong dan blur kamu ni..

      Si Fuziah?. wasn't she that joker tasked to scout for BN kataks few years back? Mission failed as TOPAN lashed Taiwan...

      Ni nak bg dia mission Lynas pulak? Satni jinx, TOPAN Taiwan ikut dia mai Kuantan, payah rakyat..

      Professor Nasi Lemak

      Delete
    4. Prof pokpek parrot,

      Nampak kau ni sensitif sangat kat perkataan "dedak" hehe.

      Siapa makan dedak dia yang rasa pedassss....kahkahkah

      Delete
    5. Anon 23:02

      Nampak kamu ni benar2 gian "dedak".. sah mmg kaki makan dedak ni.

      ...Siakap Sinohong Gelama Ikan Duri, Bercakap Bohong satu tandanya kaki Mencuri...

      Fuziah is Timbalan Menteri dalam Jabatan Perdana Menteri (Hal Ehwal Agama). Klo she heads the committee elok juga, sekarang dia tak boleh BOHONG.

      آية المنافق ثلاثة : إذا حدث كذب , وإذا وعد أخلف , وإذا اؤتمن خان

      Professor Nasi Lemak

      Delete
    6. Prof Pokpek,

      Gapo gak mu pokpekpek pagi pagi ni...Tak dok kerja lain ko mu ni ?
      Bodoh bangang betul mu ni...

      Delete
    7. Prof Cutpaste Parrot......

      Please print that on a banner and wave it at the courthouse when your hippo & pirate paymasters are being charged, OK?

      Must remind the First Klepet of their sins : )



      Delete
  16. Annie,

    //I prefer the Lynas review committee to be headed by an independent expert rather than a potentially bias politician with vested interest.//

    Actually, it is not so important, if the review committee was headed by Fuziah even if she was biased.

    What is more important is the make-up of that review committee.

    Note that, according to Amanda Lacaze, the CEO of Lynas, the review committee does not appear to have been formed yet.

    I quote

    //To date, Lynas has seen media reports about this review committee. However, we have not been notified of the membership of this review committee, the scope of the review or the terms of reference of this committee.//

    So, now that Fuziah has absolute authority on who she can call to be in her review committee, the onus is on her to prove that she REALLY wants a good solid scientific answer to whether the Lynas plant is ok or not.

    If she gets half-past six committee members in the review committee, we will know she is not interested in the truth.

    BUT if Fuziah gets world class unbiased experts on her committee, with repute, on the subject, then we know she is serious.

    OK, maybe it is hard to get world class experts who would agree to serve on her reviewcommittee, so another option may be to include UMNO/MCA/MIC politicians as well on her review committee.

    By making this a bi-partisan review committee, it could give more weight to decisions made by the committee.

    Also, if the review committee refers to world class unbiased experts for opinions, then we will know that Fuziah is making a real effort to get to the truth.

    The Lynas plant is a matter of national importance and there is no place in it for petty personal agendas.

    I sincerely hope that Fuziah Salleh will show us the excellence we expect from our politicians.

    Gladiator

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I prefer the entire review committee made up of professionals and experts. No politicians from any side. They don't really know shit. I have enough of politics. Thank you.

      Delete
    2. Hahaha...funny how Annie has suddenly become so conscious of impartiality. This is what one calls "selective" conscience. Ada udang di sebalik kuey teow kot.

      Delete
  17. Lynas should have operated from Pekan...:)

    ReplyDelete
  18. ' Seek knowledge as far as China '
    Learn from the Chiniese
    China controls 90% of the world supply of rare earth products
    It also house's one of the world 10 most toxic places that is a man made lake where all REE affluents are stored
    China was the first preference for Linas's oversea refinery site
    Negotiationn between Chinese and Aussies broke down when only 60% of the end products are allowed to be exported
    See how smart Chinese are they retains 40% for their own industries
    Malaysian likewise should use this export ratio as a bargaining tools to our advantages
    Maybe 70% for export and 30% to boosts our local industries
    If you asks IAEA even nuclear facilties are safe
    Review commitees/war council consisting of Geronimo,Crazy Horse,Black Hawk,Red Cloud,Sitting Bull,General Custer and Fauziah will not resolve it
    The plant is already there
    Linas cannot takes all the meat and bone(toxic waste) for Malaysian to savour
    It should be a win win situation
    So,Malaysians search your imagination

    Fadzireen

    ReplyDelete
  19. Annie @ 6 October 2018 at 18:33,

    //I prefer the entire review committee made up of professionals and experts.//

    Hmmm, I think that in some countries, a panel of experts like that usually report direct to a bi-partisan committee which in turn reports back to Parliament.

    I am not familiar with parliamentary protocol anywhere so I don't really know how things should work.

    So, I am just guessing that a parliamentary committee is usually appointed (bi-partisan or otherwise) by Parliament.

    Then that parliamentary committee forms sub-committees comprising of whatever.

    Then the sub-committees do their work, report to the parliamentary committee which then report back to Parliament.

    Happy if anybody can correct me on this. :)

    //No politicians from any side.//

    Well, having politicians in the review committee is probably more of a curse to whichever politician gets picked for the job :)

    There is hell to pay if they get it wrong - whatever wrong means.

    I don't mind having a curse inflicted on any politician :)

    //They don't really know shit.//

    They are supposed to represent the average man/woman-in-the-street, aren't they? :)

    Never mind, over time, hopefully, we may get better quality politicians if we keep changing governments around.

    We have seen this time in GE14 that we managed to get rid of some useless deadwood in BN.

    Next time, when we do change govt again, we will get rid of more deadwood, but this time in PH.

    And in between changes of govt, the opposition would probably get rid of more of their own deadwood, just like what PKR and DAP did in their many years in opposition.

    Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat :)

    //I have enough of politics.//

    Oh, don't like that, OK?

    Go have a break somewhere, re-set your thinking and you will be ok :)

    I have fun with politics only because I don't really give a damn about either side :)

    I only look at what is being done for the people.

    Very simple really.

    I am ALWAYS the good guy :)

    I am perfectly willing to give PH A LOT OF TIME to get their act together - at the moment.

    I mean, I gave BN a chance for many years as well, in case anybody likes to know.

    But wait until GE15 or GE16, and if your blog is still around, you may see me taking a different stance.

    And I will still be the good guy.

    Can't lose.

    Yeah, I know, politicians and a lot of die-hard party supporters hate people like me - no loyalty to them, you see :)

    Heheheheheh!!

    Gladiator

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Whatever, but let me ask you this - if I led a bunch of nitwits accusing you of polluting the environment so that I could win an election and then later on I'm appointed as the judge who will decide whether you really had polluted the environment, would you be okay with that? Or would you rather be judged by someone who is truly knowledgeable of the law and the environment as well as not likely be bias?

      Delete
    2. The nitwits are those who approved it in the FIRST INSTANCE. They are the traitors to the rakyat where their own selfish greed and profits take precedence over the health and safety of the people. The Lynas fellas got thrown out of their own country Australia precisely because the smart Aussies wouldnt want any of their nonsense and instead Lynas had to look to Malaysia as guinea pigs.

      Delete
    3. "Whatever, but let me ask you this - if I led a bunch of nitwits accusing you of polluting the environment so that I could win an election"

      Annie,

      In short, you are saying that the whole Lynas issue was merely "modal politik" for Fuziah to win in Kuantan.

      Well, I agree that all politicians' motives should be open to scrutiny.

      Always.

      Both BN and PH and whoever it is in the future.

      However, do note that some of the many, many concerns about Lynas (it became internationally famous) WERE expressed by people truly knowledgeable of the law and the environment.

      The poor construction quality was reported as far away as New York.

      If you look up the literature, there are many articles (some very technical, though) about certain "shortcuts" the Lynas management took. Some were done to achieve technical compliance, like diluting the waste so it was barely within limits, but still hazardous in terms of radiation levels.

      These specialised industry journals are unlikely to be mouthpieces of Fuziah.

      (We are a 3rd world country, okay: )

      Other point:

      Just because someone is a non-politician, don’t assume they are not biased.

      Let’s face it, lah.

      That FOREX RCI (30 years later!) was nothing more than pre-election gimmick to divert attention from 1MDB.

      And that Barua Bermisai in charge was not a politician - in theory, heh heh.

      Delete
    4. "The Lynas fellas got thrown out of their own country Australia precisely because the smart Aussies wouldnt want any of their nonsense"....

      Wonder what would happen if Lynas had tried to set up this plant on the outskirts of Melbourne?

      Nasib baik the backwards jungle natives of Malaysia still live in trees : )



      Delete
    5. Annie is a numbskull. How could she never thought the bad impact Lynas would be to the people in this country in the long run. Whereas so many countries rejected contributing as such Lynas.

      Not forgetting the deals were made by the bunch of thieves and corrupt people from the previous klepto gomen. What can we expect the result might be?

      Delete
    6. Of course for people like you the decision of the committee has already been set. Lynas will be shut down even if theres no proper investigation. That's why it doesn't matter for you who will be in the committee.

      Delete
    7. Of course for people like Annie, it does not matter an iota that Lynas' own home country Australia and many other countries do not approve of what Lynas is doing due to proper and stringent environmental standards practised by those countries. The fact that other countries do not welcome Lynas is very telling indeed and says a lot.

      Delete
    8. "Of course for people like you the decision of the committee has already been set. Lynas will be shut down even if theres no proper investigation."

      Annie,

      Exactly what most Malaysians thought in advance about:

      a) Forex RCI

      b) PAC probe on1MDB

      c) A-G decision on prosecution of Najib

      And dozens of others.

      Well, keep an open mind.

      As long as they don't pull the trick of hiding behind OSA, then the report is public.

      People can evaluate.

      They never got that chance with 1MDB Report until Rafizi risked jail by leaking part of it.

      So....wait for the report.

      Delete
  20. Annie,

    //if I led a bunch of nitwits accusing you of polluting the environment so that I could win an election//

    Heheheheh!!

    Leading nitwits on the basis of false premises to win elections is nothing new in Malaysia.

    There is plenty of precedence for that in the last 60 years :)

    //then later on I'm appointed as the judge who will decide whether you really had polluted the environment,//

    Are you doing the judging without the benefit of expert assistance or are you judging based on expert assessment?

    If you are not relying on expert assistance, there is no need to talk.

    If there was expert opinion on my side, and you still decide against me, there is also no need to talk.

    If expert opinion was against me, then your hands are clean and you were right all along, so I can only hang my head in shame, pack my bags and find another sucker... eerrr.. I mean, another more accomodating country.

    Let me be clear - I DO NOT oppose the use of expert opinion.

    AND, I acknowledge your concerns re biasness and independence.

    Regardless of who runs that review committee, how do we ensure that unbiased independent experts are appointed?

    Where would we find these unbiased independent experts?

    I dunno how to answer those questions.

    Gladiator

    ReplyDelete
  21. Hey Annie, Malaysia is a real sucker for stupidity. After the tragic consequences of Bukit Merah, it still gave approval to allow Gebeng to be a radioactive waste dumpsite.

    Here’s what Norman Moore, the Western Australian Minister of Mines and Petroleum, said in response to the suggestion that the Lynas wastes be shipped back from Malaysia to Western Australia for safe storage and disposal:

    Australia does not support the importation and storage of other countries’ radioactive waste.

    In other words, the Australia-based Lynas Corporation’s wastes will not be an Australian problem. Instead, they will be a Malaysian and South China Sea regional problem.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. "Australia does not support the importation and storage of other countries’ radioactive waste."

      Jilake betui.....

      As far as I'm concerned IT IS Aussie waste.

      Come on lah...

      It's all about profit for Lynas - and I bet you there was a "sleeping partner" from inside Umgnok. I've heard of Ali-Baba, this is Ali-Bobby!

      Look at these points...

      Why did the Najib administration do things in reverse?

      Facilities were built BEFORE a Temporary Operating License (TOL) was issued! And even though Najib assured the people of Pahang that the local community must be satisfied the project was safe before giving the green light.

      Secondly, why was the Najib government only now looking for a means of disposing the Lynas waste products AFTER issuance of a TOL?

      Should not the dumping site have been identified first BEFORE issuing any TOL?

      Something smelt fishy from the very start.

      Delete
    2. The BN govt was desperate for FDI. That's why they allowed Lynas to set foot here. Profits before people. Scumbags politicians.

      Delete
  22. Shafee read 'Billion Dollar Whale' thrice, but maybe with eyes closed - says the author.
    Hahahaha.

    ReplyDelete
  23. The committee should comprise independent people with thorough knowldge of the subject. No politicians with their own agenda like Fuziah (she has suddenly withdrawn from being a member of the committee) or Wong Tuck, who is lost in his own wilderness.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Good that Fuziah has withdrawn from the committee. Hope now the committee would be headed by an independent person of thorugh knowledge in the subject. Fuziah had exaggerated based on assumpitions and grandfather's tales by so-called environmentalists who are funded by we don't know who. The peresnt Prime Minister Tun Mahathir had stated his stand on the Lynas plant back in 2012. He stated that the plant is safe. He can't retract his words now because he based what he said on facts. Fuziah cannot retract her words now because doing so would reveal how she manipulated the matter for her own political agenda

    ReplyDelete
  25. The dangerous levels of pesticides used by farmers and in Cameron Highlands. Vegetable farmers spraying pesticide on a variety of their crops. For example, insecticides such as lambda cyhalothrin (Karate 2.5 EC / Alert 2.8 Ec), diafenthiuron

    (PDF) The Use of Pesticides in Agriculture Area, Cameron Highlands. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282359599_The_Use_of_Pesticides_in_Agriculture_Area_Cameron_Highlands [accessed Oct 13 2018]. create more danger than the hypothetical accusations on Lynas. And what about the environmental destruction posed by uncontrolled hillspope development on Penang Island? Whay are you all silent on these???

    ReplyDelete
  26. Correction: (PDF) The Use of Pesticides in Agriculture Area, Cameron Highlands. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282359599_The_Use_of_Pesticides_in_Agriculture_Area_Cameron_Highlands [accessed Oct 13 2018]. create more danger than the hypothetical accusations on Lynas. And what about the environmental destruction posed by uncontrolled hillslope development on Penang Island? Why are you all silent on these???

    ReplyDelete