Lynas : MB Pahang cuba menyatakan bahawa Kerajaan Pusat BN bertanggungjawab bukan kerajaan negeri

Menteri Besar Pahang cuba menghalakan kemarahan rakyat ke arah kerajaan Pusat Barisan Nasional. 

TETAPI kuasa membenarkan sebuah kilang didirikan dan beroperasi di negeri Pahang adalah kuasa kerajaan Negeri Pahang.

Pihak kerajaan tempatan atau Majlis Perbandaran/Daerah juga ada kuasa menentukan siapa yang berniaga ...menubuhkan kilang dalam kawasan dibawah kawalannya.

Kerajaan Trengganu telah membuat keputusan menolak pendirian kilang ini ini di Negeri Trengganu - dan hanya selepas itu kerajaan Pahang telah bersetuju.

Sila lihat posting terdahulu :While Trengganu said 'No' - Pahang agreed to allow a dangerous rare earth plant in Najib's home state

MB: Jangan cerca kami, Pahang tiada kuasa beri Lynas lessen

April 19, 2011

KUANTAN, 19 April — Kerajaan negeri Pahang tidak mempunyai kuasa untuk melulus dan menutup pembinaan kilang pemprosesan logam nadir bumi milik Syarikat Lynas Corporation Ltd dari Australia, kata Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob.

Beliau berkata Kementerian Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri melulus projek tersebut selepas kajian mendalam oleh Lembaga Perlesenan Tenaga Atom mengenai tahap keselamatan penduduk terhadap kesan radioaktif atau radiasi dari kilang tersebut.

“Saya rasa hairan kenapa ada pihak yang membuat bantahan dan mencerca kerajaan negeri,” kata beliau (gambar) dipetik Bernama Online hari ini.

“Bukan kerajaan negeri Pahang yang luluskan projek ini. Yang sibuk suruh kita tutup, kenapa,” katanya ketika menggulung usul menjunjung kasih titah ucapan Sultan Pahang Sultan Ahmad Shah, pada persidangan Dewan Undangan Negeri.

Bagaimanapun Adnan berkata kerajaan negeri Pahang berpuas hati dan bersetuju dengan pembinaan kilang tersebut selepas mendengar taklimat daripada pihak berkenaan pada 22 Julai 2009.

Beliau berkata pihaknya juga telah meminta syarikat terbabit serta agensi berkaitan termasuk Jabatan Alam Sekitar dan Agensi Nuklear Malaysia supaya memantau projek berkenaan dengan lebih rapi bagi menjamin keselamatan penduduk.

“Sebenarnya, banyak benda yang kita gunakan seperti televisyen, telefon bimbit, jam tangan dan rokok ada radiasi, tapi kita kawal supaya tidak membahayakan kesihatan,” katanya.

Adnan berkata kerajaan negeri bersetuju untuk mendapatkan pandangan pakar antarabangsa bagi memberi pandangan berhubung pembinaan kilang tersebut.

Malah katanya, beliau dimaklumkan bahawa pihak Lynas juga sedia bekerjasama dengan pakar tersebut dalam mencari penyelesaian berhubung isu berkenaan.

Kilang bernilai RM700 juta yang sedang dibina di kawasan perindustrian Gebeng di sini menimbulkan kontroversi kerana didakwa bakal menghasilkan radiasi yang memudaratkan orang ramai. - Malaysian Insider, 19/4/2011, MB: Jangan cerca kami, Pahang tiada kuasa beri Lynas lessen

Kuantan's Lynas Rare Earth plant will be far worse than Bukit Merah

The problem has always been the 'secret' manner in which the Malaysian government decides and spends money.It would have been so much better that the government openly consulted the people before  even allowing the building of this rare earth plant - but alas, our BN government does not do such things often. Now, I am sure that we have wasted a lot of the 'rakyat's' money - and may even lose more because of this....

Open and transparent - that is what the people wants....at all levels. It is demand that is made of all governments - both the BN Federal Governments, and the BN or Pakatan Rakyat State governments, including also the Local Governments (Local Council, Majlis Perbandaran,....) 

Expert: Lynas will be far worse than Bukit Merah

Joseph Sipalan
Apr 18, 11
5:17pm

 

The on-going Lynas Advanced Material Plant project will produce 20,000 tonnes of radioactive waste a year once it becomes operational.

This will be 10 times more than the controversial Asian Rare Earth factory that was closed down in Bukit Merah 20 years ago, public health expert Dr T Jayabalan said.

The plant's projected rate of radioactive waste production, Jayabalan (right) said, would spell environmental and health disasters as dumping huge amounts of such waste, regardless of radioactive levels, would concentrate the deadly effects.

He explained that direct exposure to such a large amount of thorium, even if proven by both Lynas and the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) to be low in radiation, would be lethal as radiation levels build up according to the volume of waste piled together.

Both Lynas and the AELB have said that the plant would produce thorium - a naturally occurring radioactive chemical element - as a waste by-product from the plant's operations in the Gebeng industrial area, some 25km from Kuantan, Pahang.

However, the Australian company and the national atomic power agency maintain that thorium has a low radiation level and is not harmful to people or the surrounding environment.

Jayabalan warned against buying into claims that thorium is safe, stressing that any prolonged exposure to increased radiation levels "no matter how minute" would be a health hazard.

"Perhaps AELB and Lynas are right, that rare earth is not radioactive because they remove the radioactive waste. What they will give you in Gebeng is this radioactive waste called thorium," he told some 500 people at a talk in Kuantan on Sunday night.

"And perhaps the authorities are right, that thorium is a low-level (radioactive) waste and they tell you it is safe.

"These are terms used by the industry to confuse you... remember, there is no safe level of any radioactivity," he said.

No safe haven

Jayabalan agreed that people are constantly exposed to "background radiation" - low levels of radiation from sunlight and other environmental factors - but stressed that bringing an additional source of radiation is akin to the death sentence.

He said the best defence from direct exposure to increased radioactivity was to "stay as far away as possible".

However, this would not work with a second, more surreptitious killer that would be released when the ore containing the rare earth is crushed to remove the thorium.

Jayabalan explained that when the ore is crushed, it releases another radioactive element which exists as a gas - radon.

"Radon can travel thousands of miles... which means you are not protected anywhere in Malaysia because the wind will blow (it across the nation)."

Jayabalan, who was among those who fought to shut down the Asian Rare Earth factory run by Mistubishi Chemical from the early 1980s to 1992, implored the people to learn from the experience of the Bukit Merah residents, who he said continued to pay for the ill-advised venture with their lives.

Showing slides of many children and young adults who were casualties of radiation exposure from the Asian Rare Earth factory, he said these people were innocent and unknowing victims of a tragedy that could have been avoided.

'Think of the future'

Bukit Merah is now the site of what is believed to be one of Asia's largest toxic waste clean-ups, courtesy of the factory that produced an average of 2,000 tonnes of radioactive waste annually in the course of its operations.

Jayabalan said the company and the authorities, having found no viable solution to manage the waste pile accumulated, decided to dispose of it at a heavily-guarded dumpsite located within a limestone formation in the area.

"At that time, the authorities gave their assurance that it would be safe and that they would first hold trial runs. But once it starts, it will not stop... what you will get is a large amount of dangerous waste that will outlast you.

"Even Lynas says it can't send it (the waste) back to Australia, meaning they know this is not an acceptable practice... we don't want this in our backyard. Take it back to Australia," Jayabalan said.

Lynas Malaysia has maintained that radiation experts from various government agencies, including AELB, the Department of Environment and Nuclear Malaysia have "presented findings" to show that the Lynas Advanced Material Plant in Gebeng would produce "safe, non-hazardous material".

On two postings on the company's Facebook page today, Lynas insisted that the plant causes "zero radiation exposure to the public" and that the company remains committed to its core values of creating a "safe environment for all", particularly for those living in and around Gebeng.

It said there have been a lot of comparisons between its Gebeng plant and the Bukit Merah plant.

"These two plants are not the same. The Lynas raw material is not the same as the raw material processed at Bukit Merah. Due to the unique geology of Mount Weld and associated mineral deposits, the Lynas raw material contains naturally low levels of thorium, which is 50 times lower than the tin tailings used by Asian Rare Earth in Bukit Merah," Lynas said.

"Lynas Malaysia Experts in radiation, including the DOE, AELB and Nuclear Malaysia, all presented findings showing the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant is producing safe, non-hazardous material. It causes zero radiation exposure to the public.

"We remain committed to our core values of creating a safe environment for all. Lynas Advanced Materials Plant causes zero exposure to radiation for the community living in and around Gebeng, Kuantan."

 

Lynas has invested some RM700 million into the plant, which it intends to complete by September this year. The company projects the plant to generate some RM8 billion in annual revenue by 2013. - Malaysiakini, 18/4/2011, Expert: Lynas will be far worse than Bukit Merah

VIDEOS

Expert: Lynas will be far worse than Bukit Merah l 8.06 min

Kuantan says 'No' to radioactive waste l 17.33 min

Polis buru dua lelaki lari dari mahkamah

Polis buru dua lelaki lari dari mahkamah

21/04/2011 4:37pm

TEMERLOH - Polis percaya dua lelaki yang meloloskan diri dari Mahkamah Temerloh semalam masih berada di dalam daerah itu.
Ketua Polis Daerah Temerloh, ACP Mohd Noor Mansur berkata, pihaknya kini giat mengesan dua lelaki berusia antara 35 dan 40 tahun terbabit termasuk melakukan sekatan di pintu masuk dan keluar daerah itu.
"Kesemua jalan keluar masuk bersempadan dengan daerah Temerloh dipantau dengan rapi bagi memberkas suspek,” katanya kepada pemberita di sini hari ini.
Dalam kejadian kira-kira 8.30 pagi semalam, dua lelaki terbabit yang ditahan kerana disyaki terlibat dengan kes kecurian baja dua minggu lepas meloloskan diri melalui pintu belakang mahkamah ketika dibawa bagi mendapatkan perintah reman. - Bernama

Petisyen 'Online' Membantah kilang tanah jarang(rare earth) Kuantan, Pahang

Untuk membantah kilang tanah jarang di Kuantan,Pahang, and kini boleh mengambil tindakan dengan mengambil bahagian dalam petisyen 'on-line' di  STOP LYNAS!

Sila lihat juga post terdahulu, Jangan biarkan kilang proses tanah jarang di Kuantan bermula operasi..

Help people of Pahang...Kuantan - go sign "Stop Lynas" petition

The Lynas Rare Earth plant would soon be operational in Kuantan, Pahang unless it is stopped unless we convince the government to shut it down. Why is the government doing this all over again, after the people had managed to struggle and shut down a similar rare earth company before, after getting a court order in 1992, the company finally shut down in 1994.

Faith in the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) was lost, and the people had to go to court and get a court order. The government did not act on their own - but had to be compelled by court orders.Trengganu State government refused the project after studies and consultation - but neighboring  Pahang said 'Yes'. 

1989 Two children aged five and 11 and a 19-year-old man were diagnosed with acute leukemia. Other cases like brain cancer, septicemia and other complications are reported.


Seemingly healthy children exposed to radiation were tested and found to be less healthy than those in Carey Island, although the children of Bukit Merah were better nourished.

According to 1986 statistics, Bukit Merah should have only one case of leukemia in thirty years. By the time the plant shuts down, eight cases would have been diagnosed. Seven patients will not survive.

There are also reported cases of birth deformities involving children of workers at the plant.

1985 Residents of Bukit Merah obtain a stop work order from the High Court.1986 Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) deems the site safe, and in 1987 issues a licence to ARE to resume work, 8 residents take legal action against ARE.

 
1992 The Bukit Merah residents win their suit against ARE but the High Court's shutdown order is stayed upon ARE's appeal to the Supreme Court. The proceedings are adjourned.

1994 ARE announces that it will cease operations even though the case is pending.

See earlier posting :While Trengganu said 'No' - Pahang agreed to allow a dangerous rare earth plant in Najib's home state

There is an online petition that we can all participate in, entitled STOP LYNAS!

....We, the undersigned, want the government to stop Lynas Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. from operating its rare earth refining plant in Kuantan or anywhere in Malaysia.

We do not have faith in the safeguards claimed to have been put in place to ensure that there will not be radioactive leakages neither do we feel assured that the waste will be disposed properly.

We do not want to face a radioactive problem in our backyard and we do not want to subject ourselves or our family members to severe health problems.....

Jangan biarkan kilang proses tanah jarang di Kuantan bermula operasi..

Kerajaan Trengganu menolak cadangan kerana memikirkan keselamatan rakyat - tetapi Kerajaan BN Pahang bersetuju...

Jaminan keselamatan tidak memadai - apa yang kita mahu adalah supaya kilang tersebut tidak bermula beroperasi - dan ditutup terus. Apa gunanya jaminan selepas bencana berlaku...dan kesihatan rakyat terjejas. Saya berharap, Fauziah, MP PKR, berpendirian tegas supaya kilang ini ditutup terus - dan bukan hanya puas hati dengan jaminan keselamatan sahaja.

Menurut lapuran Malaysiakini, beliau tahu mengenai perkara ini sejak 2 tahun yang lalu - mengapa pula kempen secara besar-besaran dilancarkan menentang projek ini. Kita, di Malaysia, sudah pernah menjadi mangsa, iaitu kilang ARE di Bukit Merah, di mana perjuangan dan kempen rakyat akhirnya berjaya menutup kilang tersebut pada 1994 - tetapi mereka yang sudah menjadi mangsa kanser...atau yang melahirkan bayi cacat tidak akan dapat dipampas dengan apa cara pun. 

Sila ke blog saya untuk mendapatkan maklumat lebih - terutama mengenai perjuangan rakyat Bukit Merah yang akhirnya berjaya menutup kilang in pada tahun 1994...Ambil perhatian juga surat S.M. Idris yang mendedahkan bahawa kerajaan Trengganu telah menolak projek ini...sila lihat:While Trengganu said 'No' - Pahang agreed to allow a dangerous rare earth plant in Najib's home state

Tapak Lynas: Kalau selamat mengapa tak diproses di Perth, soal Pemuda PAS

Oleh Syed Mu’az Syed Putra

March 10, 2011

 

KUALA LUMPUR, 10 Mac — Ketua Dewan Pemuda PAS pusat Nasrudin Hasan at-Tantawi mempersoalkan langkah kerajaan membina pusat pemprosesan tanah jarang terbesar di dunia — di Gebeng dekat Kuantan, yang dikhuatiri boleh mengundang risiko kesihatan.

Kata beliau, pusat tersebut yang bernilai RM700 juta dibina oleh sebuah syarikat Australia, Lynas Corp akan menyebabkan penduduk di sekitar daerah Kuantan dan Gebeng terdedah kepada ancaman sisa radioaktif.

Jelas Nasrudin, jika benar ia tidak memberikan sebarang kesan terhadap tahap kesihatan penduduk, mengapa bahas sisa tersebut perlu diproses di negara ini.

“Malangnya Pengarah Lembaga Pelesenan Tenaga Atom Malaysia, Raja Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan mengatakan kesan radiasinya rendah dan selamat.

“Persoalannya, jika proses menapis tanah jarang ini tidak memberi kesan kepada kesihatan penduduk, kenapa ia dilombong di Mount Weld Australia dan tidak sahaja ia diproses di Perth Australia? Kenapa perlu pindahkan ke Gebeng Kuantan melepasi 2,500 kilometer jauh jaraknya,” soal beliau dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Pembinaan pusat pemprosesan tanah jarang yang paling besar di dunia dilaporkan beberapa hari lalu oleh The New York Times,  yang memetik beberapa pakar yang melahirkan kebimbangan berhubung sisa radioaktif yang bakal dihasilkan .

Kata Nasrudin, penduduk sekitar daerah Kuantan dan Gebeng sekali lagi terdedah kepada ancaman sisa radioaktif yang bakal terhasil.

“Saya melihat projek seperti ini sangat mengundang risiko kepada tahap kesihatan masyarakat kita kerana Pusat Industri Gebeng letaknya berhampiran dengan taman perumahan penduduk.

“Sisa buang yang akan tersalur ke sungai akan memberi kesan radioaktif kepada masyarakat. Apakah seluas-luas gurun di Australia tidak mencukupi untuk membina kilang seperti ini jika ia benar-benar didakwa selamat,” katanya.

Menurut beliau, sebuah kilang serupa pernah cuba dibina di Bukit Merah, Perak pada sekitar 1980-an namun mendapat tentangan hebat daripada pelbagai pihak kerana ia memberi kesan buruk kepada kesihatan penduduk seperti kanser, leukemia dan kecacatan.

“Saya difahamkan seorang pengamal perubatan dan ahli toksilogi, Dr Jayabalan A Thambyappa, yang pernah merawat beberapa pesakit di Bukit Merah, beliau sendiri kurang yakin dengan kenyataan itu. Perkataan ‘rendah’ adalah semata-mata persepsi.

“Malah ada yang meninggal dunia... sekarang mereka membinanya pula di Pusat Industri Gebeng, Kuantan Pahang yang letaknya tidak jauh dari kawasan penempatan awam yang besar di daerah Balok, Beserah dan Pelindung,” katanya.

Ahli Parlimen Kuantan dari Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Fuziah Salleh berkata beliau kini mahu berganding dengan pencinta alam sekitar dari Australia demi memastikan kepentingan rakyat negara tidak terjejas.

Beliau telah membangkitkan isu tapak pemprosesan tanah jarang di Gebeng, Kuantan itu dua tahun lalu.

Kata Fuziah,  beliau akan bekerjasama dengan rakan-rakan sejawatannya dari Green Party Australia untuk mengenakan tekanan ke atas kerajaan agar melihat secara mendalam kesan ke atas alam sekitar dan kesihatan akibat projek bernilai AS$230 juta itu dan mahu jaminan perlindungan sebelum Lynas Corp memulakan operasinya.- Malaysian Insider, 10/3/2011, Tapak Lynas: Kalau selamat mengapa tak diproses di Perth, soal Pemuda PAS

Kenapa Sumbangan Deepavali tahun 2010 hanya untuk DUN Mentakab?

1- Surat dikeluarkan oleh Pejabat Daerah & Tanah Temerloh bertarikh 28/1/2011, yang ditandatangani Nurul Fitrah Binti Muda, Penolong Pegawai Daerah(PF) b.p. Pegawai Daerah, yang meminta penerima pergi ke Kuil Sri Maha Mariamman, Mentakab pada jam 9.30pagi, 1/2/2011 "...untuk menerima bantuan tersebut....", di mana penerima surat di minta membawa kad pengenalan dan surat jemputan untuk tujuan pendaftaran. Kehadiran peribadi di wajibkan, dan "...tidak dibenarkan menghantar wakil...". Sekiranya tidak dapat hadhir, boleh pergi mengambil sumbangan berkenaan daripada Unit PLB, Pejabat Daerah dan Tanah Temerloh dalam tempoh 14 hari daripada tarikh di atas.

2- Surat ini tidak dihantar melalui pos tetapi telah dihantar secara peribadi oleh seseorang yang menyatakan dirinya ahli MIC.

Apa yang menjadi tanda tanya adalah:-

a - Mengapa pejabat daerah tidak menghantar surat ini melalui pos biasa...and telah memberikan kepada pihak ketiga untuk menghantar. Adakah ianya untuk memberikan gambaran salah bahawa MIC yang membantu...kalau tidak tak dapat sumbangan? 

b -   Siapakah yang sepatutnya berhak mendapat sumbangan Deepavali daripada kerajaan? Semua warganegara Malaysia keturunan India? - sebab tidak ada apa-apa yang dinyatakan dalam surat tersebut. Biasanya ianya diberikan kepada golongan tertentu saperti warga mas, atau mereka yang miskin tetapi dalam surat baru-baru ini tidak ada kategori khusus dinyatakan.

c -  Yang anihnya, isteri menerima surat tetapi bukan suami. Yang anihnya ada 1 menerima tetapi bukan semua yang lain di kawasan kediaman sama...kampung sama..Ketua kampung sendiri (yang juga merupakan ahli JKKK pun tidak tahu).

d - Mengapa hanya DUN Mentakab sahaja? Mengapa bukan untuk semua di Pahang di Malaysia? Mungkin berlaku tetapi saya tak tahu ...

Apa yang saya risaukan adalah bahawa wang kerajaan wang rakyat disalahgunakan. Semua dalam kategori yang berhak tidak menerimanya. Ini adalah ketidakadilan besar. Siasatan harus dilakukan...   

Banjir di Temerloh semakin reda - Mendapat bantuan kerajaan adalah hak rakyat yang menjadi mangsa

Siapa harus membantu mangsa banjir? Semestinya kerajaan, sebab ada peruntukan khusus untuk membantu rakyat yang menjadi mangsa banjir, dsb..

Tetapi, biasanya ahli politik BN datang dan memberikan tanggapan salah kepada rakyat bahawa mereka sendiri yang memberikan bantuan daripada 'poket' mereka sendiri. Ini adalah satu penipuan.

Untuk menerima bantuan adalah hak - bukan jasa baik MP ini, atau ADUN itu, atau parti ini dan sebagainya.

Bantuan sewajarnya harus datang bukan sahaja daripada kerajaan Persekutuan, tetapi juga daripada Kerajaan Negeri serta juga Majlis Perbandaran tempatan.

 

Flood situation improving

UPDATED @ 04:04:45 PM 04-02-2011

February 04, 2011

 

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 — The flood situation is reported improving with more victims returning home and evacuation centres closed today.

In NEGRI SEMBILAN, only the flood relief centre at Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Gemas, in Tampin, remained open as at 11am to accommodate 508 people from 135 families.

In PAHANG, the number of victims in the two flood-affected districts has dropped to 840 people from 2,265 people yesterday.

A spokesman for the state police operations room said the number of flood victims in Temerloh district, however, increased to 493 people from 457 people yesterday.

The victims are from Kampung Batu Kapor (389 people), Kampung Sungai Buloh Mentakab (102) and Taman Mutiara Indah (2).

He said the number of flood victims in Rompin district dropped to 347 people from 1,808 people yesterday.

The victims are from Kampung Rekoh (168), Bukit Serok (127), Kampung Aur (37), Kampung Denai (9) and Kampung Lubuk Batu (6).

All roads previously closed due to the floods are now opened to all vehicles.

In MALACCA, the situation has improved further with only 461 people still at three relief centres in the state as at 8am, from 528 people yesterday.

A total of 446 people, from 98 families, are at two relief centres in Jasin, while another 15 people from five families are at a relief centre in Alor Gajah. 

In JOHOR, a total of 32,791 flood victims remained at the 149 flood relief centres across the state. There were about 36,000 evacuees from the state yesterday.

According to the statistics issued by the state secretariat, the highest number of evacuees are from Muar (8,884) followed by Batu Pahat (7,853), Segamat (7,671), Ledang (7,237), Kluang (474), Kota Tinggi (113) and Mersing (162).

The Johor Drainage and Irrigation Department also reported that all the state’s major rivers recorded normal water levels.

However, 19 roads in Segamat, Ledang, Mersing, Batu Pahat and Muar continued to be impassable to traffic or are only opened for heavy vehicles.- Malaysian Insider, 4/2/2011,

Sila lihat juga:

Banjir Temerloh 2011: Titi Gantung Baru di Esplanade Temerloh (pics & video)