tol issue tuesday, page-8

yep Jim - pity some enterprising journo in Malaysia hasn't thought to ask the question outright to AELB to clear the matter up, but that's my best assessment. (have you noticed how Malaysian newspaper articles contain at most two sentences of new quotations at a time surrounded by regurgitated layers of filling often quite irrelevant and always revealing the real agenda?)

The other part of the equation that leads me to Tuesday is the Free Trad agreement. it's inconceivable, as other posters have suggested that the Malaysian T&I minister could not arrange for Emerson to go to Malaysia this Tuesday to finalise something that has dragged on for years by coincidence.

We already know Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed is in the know regarding the Lynas situation. Last week he was quoted as saying:

"Whenever the government does something, it does due diligence in analysing the benefits to the country. Lynas is the first step. We are looking at spin-off activities and downstream development such as wind turbines, batteries, and hybrid cars ... Some people have made up their minds on the matter, even though we've brought in experts. I appeal to everyone to be objective and not follow the herd mentality," the minister added

He is not going to embarrass himself by hosting Emerson without the Lynas issue being resolved IMO.

As much as I detest our incompetent minority govt with every fibre of my being, it does occur to me to give Emerson due credit as I suspect that behind the scenes, this has been a small part of the negotiations - it's not like Lynas is the be all and end all, but it is certainly a big enough elephant in the room not to have been ignored in such discussions which are now concluded.