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Ministers Lim Guan Eng and Yeo Bee Yin speak to reporters after the DAP meeting to discuss Lynas’ operations on Tuesday night.KUALA LUMPUR: DAP leaders were tight-lipped on the outcome of a meeting on Tuesday night regarding Australian rare earths company Lynas Corp and its operations in Gebeng, Kuantan.
The three-hour meeting saw top DAP leaders, including MPs, assemble at the party’s headquarters, but at the end of it, ministers Lim Guan Eng and Yeo Bee Yin declined to reveal much.
Lim, who is the party secretary-general, only described the meeting as “good” and that views were exchanged.
Lynas has been embroiled in controversy for several years, with environmentalists and Pakatan Harapan politicians protesting against the plant on health grounds and calling for its closure.
The plant’s operating licence is due for renewal next month. Putrajaya has hinted that the licence will be renewed subject to Lynas making arrangements for waste disposal.
Yeo, the energy, science, technology, environment and climate change minister, said the relevant government agency will announce the cabinet’s decision on Thursday.
“I will also issue some views on the statement on Aug 15,” she said.
Lim and Yeo declined to take further questions, including whether consensus had been reached within the party on the issue and if it supported the stand of Lynas critic Wong Tack, who earlier claimed DAP backed his view that Lynas should be suspended.
Wong, who is DAP’s Bentong MP, told reporters after the meeting that party members, including cabinet ministers, supported his views on Lynas.
“We’ll know the decision by the 15th (Thursday). At this moment, we are prepared for a tough struggle. We will fight on, I will lead the people to fight on,” he said.
Wong said if the Cabinet decided that Lynas will be allowed to continue, then Malaysia must “get tougher” to fight the decision.
He also claimed the DAP was united on the issue and that the people will stand behind efforts to stop Lynas if the Cabinet did not change its mind.
“As a backbencher, I know how the ground feels, my colleagues in Parliament, many are with me.
“We will garner support from backbenchers to ensure the people’s voice reaches the few in the Cabinet who are against the people’s views.”
He also said he was working with lawyers who were “with the people” and that they were in the process of taking legal action against Lynas.
