Skip to main content

Memorandum to Australian High Comm on LYNAS

MEMORANDUM

Save Malaysia Committee
B-6 Taman Tunas Manja,
Jalan Air Putih, 25300 Kuantan.
Pahang Darul Makmur.

Date: 20/05/2011

HIS EXCELLENCY
AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSIONER TO MALAYSIA
KUALA LUMPUR
Your Excellency
RE: LYNAS ADVANCED MATERIAL PLANT (LAMP) NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN GEBENG, KUANTAN , MALAYSIA.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We the residents of Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia are extremely concerned over the proposed construction and operation of the above plant.

It is common knowledge that :
1) LAMP will be processing rare earths oxide which contains Thorium
2) Thorium is a known radioactive material.
3) The mineral monazite which contains the Thorium is mined at Mount Weld in Western Australia and will be shipped to Kuantan, through Freemantle Port for processing at LAMP.

As your country is the originator of this dangerous material it is only right that your country must take responsibility for its presence here in this country.

We are not convinced by the assurances of LAMP, (and others allied to their cause), that the LAMP is safe. If it truly were so, surely then your country should readily keep that industry within its borders, or at the very least, be prepared to take back the waste ( which contains the deadly thorium). But your country has flatly refused to take back their own waste.
Source The Star: 12/04/2011, Pg. N.23

Malaysians have had experience with Thorium, in the Bukit Merah plant in Ipoh, Perak. The consequences of that fiasco are still continuing. Children born deformed or retarded are still alive but unable to articulate their plight while some have lost their lives to cancer.

LAMP claims that their plant is totally different from that of Bukit Merah facility and that the levels of radioactivity is very low. But we remain unconvinced, nor are we prepared to experiment with our health and lives and those of our future generations.

We the residents of Kuantan, appeal to your higher values and call upon you , to do all that you can, to stop the shipment of this Thorium containing material from your country.

Surely, your country being a respectable member of the international community would not allow an International Convention to be flouted or circumvented.

Your Excellency, we the people of Kuantan do not want, in our midst LAMP and for that matter any other company that produces any form of radioactive material.
Your Excellency, does it not seem unconscionable to you that ore containing this radioactive material should be shipped 4000km from your country to Malaysia for the monetary gain of LAMP while the people of Kuantan are left to face the long term effects of the obnoxious waste?
This Thorium waste, as your Excellency would already know, is radioactive and has a ½ life of 14 billion years. Thus, for generations to come , we the people of Malaysia will be exposed to the risks of radioactive contaminations.

Your Excellency, this Movement, is inspired by the most lofty ideals- that of human lives and health. We are resolved to continue our struggle to safeguard our air, water and soil from LAMP’s (and others’) deadly wastes. The vast majority of Malaysians share our mission. We again exhort you, to do all that you can, within your power to stop the dangerous ore from leaving your own shores.

We trust you understand and share our concerns. Many Australians in fact, already do, as the Internet reveals.

Mr Robin Chapple, MLC, Member for the Mining and Pastoral Region is “deeply worried” as expressed in his media release dated 13/04/2011.

I annex a copy of the release downloaded from the internet, for your further reading.

I trust that you will act as a good citizen of the world, and of Australia in particular.


Yours sincerely,


…………………………………………………………………
Vincent Jiam (Hand phone: 016 931 8081)
Chairperson, Save Malaysia Committee

Popular posts from this blog

Hello Kitty proves action speaks louder than words

Hello Kitty proves action speaks louder than words Hello Kitty does not have a mouth. She speaks with her heart. Worldwide novelty ‘Hello Kitty’ had Singaporeans queuing up and tussling over a limited edition toy kitten dressed in skeleton outfit from a German fairy tale known as ‘The Singing Bones’. McDonald’s Singapore sold the toy, as the last in a series of six, which began early June. The last frenzy was Hello Kitty dressed in wedding attire in 2000. Despite having stocked up on 40% more on collectible Hello Kitty toys this year and limiting each customer to only 4 toys each, McDonald’s claim that the response for the Fairy Tale series had been overwhelming. The fast-food chain announced last Thursday that the iconic toy had been sold out, much to the disappointment and frustration of many enthusiastic collectors who braved the haze in an attempt to get their hands on the plush toy. Singapore wasn't the only country bogged by this phenomenon. Malaysia a...

Tap tourism market potential in Greater Bay Area, says Wong

  This article was published in TheSun on 19 August 2024. Tourism and Creative Economy executive councillor Wong Hon Wai said that there is great tourism potential in China’s Greater Bay Area, including Hong Kong. He also said that Penang should explore and expand its market share due to the Greater Bay Area’s large population of 86 million people, and economic strength. “Hong Kong alone has a population of 7.5 million people,” he said. “We warmly welcome more tourists, business professionals, and students from Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to Penang, a unique city that blends East and West, tradition and modernity,” Wong said in a statement on   August 14. He said that the Greater Bay Area encompassing Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macao, share deep linguistic and cultural ties with Penang. He also highlighted that the Penang populace was generally proficient in multiple languages and dialects which would ease communication challenges. “Those who love cultural heritage...

Teng: It's not a scam

Press Statement by Penang Gerakan State Chairman Dato’ Dr Teng Hock Nan May 11, 2011 Penang Gerakan chief Dato’ Dr Teng Hock Nan pointed out today that the then State Exco did not at all offer compensation of RM1.8mil to Tang Hak Ju as compensation over a land case in Bukit Mertajam in 2004. “In fact, it was Tang who had demanded the sum from the previous state government. The State Exco decided that the amount he wanted should be justified with supporting documents including receipts on the amount of money he had spent in relation to the case. The decision was conveyed to Tang who could not produce the documents and did not come back to us. He then went to Court to seek redress,” said Dr Teng in a statement. Dr Teng, who was then a State Exco member, said the matter was clearly stated in the White Paper which was tabled at the State Assembly yesterday. “According to the White Paper, it was a technical mistake and negligence on the part of two government officers and there...