By Yasmin Ramlan
SHAH ALAM, Oct 4 — No decision has been made so far pertaining to the permission granted by the Federal government for states to conduct early explorations for rare earth elements (REE).
Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari said at present, the state government has no interest in conducting such exploration, a stand it has consistently taken over the past few years.
He also noted that there should be a standard operating procedure (SOP) for such an activity.
“Since 2016, the state’s policy has been consistent; we have no interest or intention in exploring rare earths,” he said during a press conference at the state secretariat building, here, today.
He was commenting on Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad’s recent statement that state governments are now permitted to conduct early-stage REE and mineral exploration, guided by SOPs for non-radioactive elements and existing mineral policies.
On September 26, Nik Nazmi said his ministry would hold discussions with state governments regarding the establishment of a framework for REE extraction in the country.
He said the discussions would focus on processing that needs to be done domestically, as well as potential areas that could be explored without encroaching on permanent forest reserve ecosystems.
However, Amirudin stressed today that stern actions will be taken against unauthorised REE mining attempts.
“At the moment, Selangor has not made any decision or shown any interest in exploring REE as a source of income,“ he said.
