Environmental and consumer advocacy groups want the Penang government to exercise caution following reports of rare earth element (REE) discovery in the state, purportedly valued at RM87 billion.
The report from News Strits Times quoted Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) president Mohideen Abdul Kader and Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenakshi Raman urged the government to carefully evaluate the potential environmental, social and economic impacts before pursuing mining activities.
In a joint statement, Mohideen and Meenakshi emphasised their longstanding opposition to rare earth mining due to its “devastating impact on the environment and human health”.
They cited Malaysia’s mining history, including the Bukit Merah Asian Rare Earth case near Ipoh, Perak, as a cautionary example of the long-term legacy of mining waste.
The report noted that according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), producing one tonne of rare earth elements generates about 2,000 tonnes of toxic waste, including 75 cubic metres of wastewater and one tonne of radioactive waste.
“Many of Penang’s deposits are likely located in environmentally sensitive areas, such as permanent forest reserves, biodiverse ecosystems and near local or indigenous communities, raising serious environmental and social concerns.
“There are risks associated with in-situ leaching, a method that clears roughly one-third of vegetation and can lead to groundwater pollution. The use of ammonium sulphate in the leaching process can cause persistent sulphate pollution and release hydrogen sulphide, a substance highly toxic to aquatic life,” they said.
