Media statement by Lim Guan Eng in Kuala Lumpur on Friday, 23^rd March 2012: 

Najib's criticism of DAP for opting out of the PSC on the Lynas rare earth plant is regrettable 

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's criticism of DAP for opting out of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on the Lynas rare earth plant, saying a solution was needed in the public interest that was above partisan politics is regrettable as it is not based on facts. The DAP and PR has opted out of the PSC principally in the public interest because the DAP did not want to be any part of BN's attempt to whitewash and delude the public into thinking the Lynas plant is safe.

Datuk Seri Najib should withdraw his earlier remarks on 17 March 2012 published by Bernama to prove his seriousness and sincerity to his latest statement with Mandarin radio station 988 yesterday that the BN government will not allow the Lynas rare earths plant in Gebeng, Kuantan, to operate if scientific evidence proves that it will be harmful to the people's health and the environment.

Bernama had reported Najib as saying on 17.3.2012 as saying.

The parliamentary select committee(PSC) on the Lynas issue will not decide on the fate of the controversial rare earth plant. Instead, the PSC was part of Putrajaya's engagement process to ensure the public understood the issues at hand so that we can convince the groups who are still suspicious whether the project is safe or otherwise. He added that he hoped the PSC would raise awareness on the project so that "we can achieve comfort in terms of better public acceptance".

Going by what the Prime Minister had said on 17.3.2012, the PSC is clearly a sham designed by BN to deliver a "fait accompli" to endorse the Lynas plant and force public acceptance without any due regard for safety, environmental and health concerns. For this reason PR and DAP had refused to participate in the PSC to legitimatize what is essentially wrong and against public interest. By saying then that the PSC would not decide on the fate of Lynas, had reduced the PSC to irrelevance.

For Dato Seri Najib to change his tune to say that the PSC was a "strong basis for us to make a decision" on Lynas is a flip-flop from his 17th March remarks. Clearly this change is the result of PR’s boycott of the PSC. However such a flip-flop only raises more questions whether the Prime Minister is serious and sincere about following through on closing down Lynas in the face of evidence and proof of environmental damage and threats to public health and safety.

To prove his commitment and seriousness, Dato Seri Najib should publicly withdraw his 17th March remarks, order an immediate stop work order on Lynas and declare the BN’s government willingness to pay compensation of at least RM700 million to Lynas spent on building the plant. Any failure to do so will only raise doubts as to the integrity of the PSC headed by Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin as nothing more than a mere political tool by BN to legitimatize the illegal or justify the unjustifiable.

*Lim Guan Eng, DAP Secretary General & MP for Bagan