IN KUANTAN, HUNDREDS OF JOBS LOST VS HUNDREDS OF LIVES LOST – IMAGINE, A ‘PRO-LYNAS’ RALLY TO BE HELD – AND BY WHOM? MOSTLY THEIR STAFF, THEIR SUPPLIERS, CONTRACTORS & PERHAPS PN-PAS SUPPORTERS?

Amidst the government’s conditional renewal of the Lynas’ licence, a pro-Lynas assembly is scheduled to be held tomorrow, confirmed Kuantan police chief Assistant Commissioner Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu.

When contacted, Wan Zahari said the police will allow the rally to take place at the football field near Dewan Orang Ramai Balok if the organiser obtains permission from the landlord or the premises manager to use the venue.

“There is no demonstration, they are organising a peaceful assembly,” he told Malaysiakini.

“We will allow (the rally) if they receive consent from the landlord,” Wan Zahari added.  

Earlier today, Sin Chew Daily reported that Kuantan Municipal Council, which is responsible for overseeing Taman Balok in Kuantan, has rejected the organiser’s request to use the public park as the rally venue.

According to the existing regulations, the rally organisers need to seek consent from the land owner or manager before they can hold the rally there.

Rally notice circulated on social media

Meanwhile, a notice detailing the Lynas rally slated to be held at a football field near Dewan Orang Ramai Balok in Kuantan, from 2.30pm to 4.30pm tomorrow, has been circulated on social media.

However, the said notice could not be immediately verified.

According to the notice, the government’s decision to stop the cracking and leaching (C&L) facility of the Lynas plant has put the livelihoods of thousands of people at risk.

“The staff of Lynas Malaysia, their family members, contractors, SME suppliers and members of the community, including the community leaders from Balok, are sending their heartfelt appeal to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim this Thursday at the ‘Perhimpunan Rayuan Pekerja Lynas Malaysia dan Komuniti’.

“Without a doubt, it (the government’s decision) will create a negative ripple effect most felt in the community of people living and working around the plant.

“Ahead of the appeal decision, both scientific facts and social impact need to be understood by the public and decision-makers alike. This is why the people directly impacted by this decision are appealing to the Prime Minister to save their jobs,” the circulated notice states.

Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang previously stated that Lynas would be able to keep its cracking and leaching plant in Malaysia on the condition that no radioactive waste materials are kept in the country.

Last week, the government agreed to renew Lynas’ licence on several conditions, one of which was to relocate the cracking and leaching facility – which produces radioactive Water Leach Purification (WLP) residue – out of Malaysia before July 2023.  

The company decried the conditions and warned that hundreds of jobs would be lost as a direct result if it is forced to close its cracking and leaching facility.

MKINI

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