Employees from Lynas gathers in a demonstration outside the Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur. PIX: AFIQ RAZALI / MalaysiaGazette / 11 DECEMBER 2018.KUALA LUMPUR – The Cabinet ministers have said ‘No’ to delaying the implementation of teaching khat in Bahasa Melayu and put an end to the Lynas rare earths plant in Gebeng, Kuantan, Pahang during the cabinet meeting yesterday.
Based on a report in China Press, the Secretary-General of DAP Lim Guan Eng had raised the request to revise the implementation of khat in Year Four textbooks.
However, the cabinet had decided that its implementation will not be delayed, but they agreed to revise the content of khat in Year Five and Six’s textbooks which was originally planned to be implemented in 2021 and 2022.
This also means that the three pages of khat will be introduced in the Year Four Bahasa Melayu textbooks beginning next year.
“The cabinet had requested the Ministry of Education to discuss the matter in details with the stakeholders if they need to withdraw the khat contents in textbooks for Year Five and Six.
“The ministry will also study the suitable approach in implementing the teaching of those contents to reduce the concerns of the Chinese community,” said a source to the China Press.
On the other hand, the Cabinet has given the green light to the controversial Australian rare earths company, Lynas Corp and it will be allowed to continue its operations in Malaysia.
Although the ministers from DAP opposed to its license renewal, other ministers also supported Lynas saying that it should be allowed to continue its operations here.
Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change, Yeo Bee Yin had earlier urged for its waste to be sent back to Australia, the Land Down Under however, had dismissed the possibility for it to take place.
Several representatives from Pakatan Harapan, including the Member of Parliament of Bentong, Wong Tack, had campaigned to shut down Lynas during the previous general election. He, who used to lead the environmental Green Group used to threaten to burn down the Lynas plant. -MalaysiaGazette
