AELBs stupid statement ever
Are politicians and regulatory bodies in Malaysia fighting to be the winner of "The most stupid statement ever" contest? If yes, then the first prize goes to the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB).
In issuing a temporary operating license (TOL), AELB director-general Raja Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan said the agency only relied on Australian rare earth miner Lynas' unilateral commitment to ship out the radioactive waste without putting it in "black and white".
So it's not mandatory for Lynas to ship out the waste material because, according to Raja Abdul Aziz, "it was never a condition of the license". But the AELB boss says he is sure the waste would be dumped elsewhere and if Lynas fails to do so, "there are various steps and considerations that the board can take".
Is this guy kidding me or is he plain stupid? Or worse does he think the rakyat can be easily fooled?
What is the basis of legal action when a black and white agreement is non-existent? How does AELB penalize Lynas when the agency has given it a blank cheque to act as it pleases?
Why doesn't the AELB boss spell out the actions that could be taken? And how binding are these actions, if at all they are taken?
And now, after much uproar, AELB says it will enforce the removal of radioactive waste from Malaysia.
Again we are unsure if this is merely a reaction to public outcry or the board is really serious.
But its sneaky deals with Lynas, eagerness to see Lynas start its operations, lack of a proper contract in terms of waste management and seemingly pandering to Lynas' whim and fancy do not instill any confidence.
We have seen tens of thousands of people protesting against Lynas, fearing for the safety of their children and future generation. And yet the AELB makes a flimsy deal with Lynas, carelessly dismissing the lives of Malaysians.
Australia has clearly said it would not accept any waste material from Lynas. So Raja Abdul Aziz, which country in the world do you think would happily accept millions of tonnes of radioactive waste from Lynas?
The Malaysian government and AELB does not seem to learn from tragedies. Severe birth defects, eight leukemia cases in five years in a community of 11,000 people are the consequences of allowing the operations of the Asian rare Earth factory in Bukit Merah, Perak.
And clean-up cost of the factory and dump site is USD100 million, estimated to be the largest in the rare earth industry.
But thirty years later, the government is once again game to play with the lives of people.
While Prime Minister Najib Razak repeats his "People First" rhetoric, tens of thousands of Malaysians are holding protests in different parts of the country just to stay healthy and alive. They are fighting not just for themselves but for the future generation.
This is evident in the rally held in Bukit Koman to oppose the use of cyanide in a gold mine. While residents who live close to the mine have repeatedly said their health has been badly affected because of the use of cyanide, the government and Raub Australia Gold Mining have dismissed these claims.
In the southern state of Johor, residents are fighting against the USD19.2 billion Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development project, fearing the loss of livelihood, effects on the environment and opposing the move by the state to relocate a total of 19 cemeteries to make way for the development.
Its simple logic - a government which is committed to the rights and welfare of its people would not act in this manner. They would not bargain on the lives of the people.
I leave it to the rakyat to judge for themselves. But when a tragedy strikes, it would be too late for the government to recoup losses when it involves the lives and livelihood of the people.
If that happens, there would be no excuse.
