PUTRAJAYA: A policy is being drafted to tackle the issue of illegal rare earth mining, says the National Resources, Energy and Climate Change Ministry.
"This is already under way at the Federal level. We will be forming a policy encompassing aspects from downstream to upstream to handle this," Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad told a press conference here on Friday (July 14).
"We do not want rare earth elements (REE) to be extracted in its raw form as this doesn't add value.
"They are also in very high demand globally due to energy transition efforts," he added.
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He said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof had assigned the ministry to ensure that rare earth elements are extracted in a sustainable manner.
"We need to balance the need for natural resources and (protecting) the environment," he added.
Nik Nazmi was commenting on the arrest of nine individuals, including four Myanmar nationals, by Kedah police for alleged involvement in the smuggling of immigrants to be exploited in the illegal mining of REE in the Bukit Enggang Forest Reserve in Sik.
Separately, Nik Nazmi said he would meet the National Water Services Commission (SPAN) soon to follow through on its findings on the faulty barrage gate at Sungai Muda.
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"I’ve already received a briefing from SPAN and met with their team.
"Their report was very thorough with interesting proposals, and we will be following through on this.
"Water supplies are critical and we need to address it in a holistic manner," he added.
On Monday (July 10), SPAN revealed that the faulty barrage gate opening that caused water to flow out of Sungai Muda uncontrollably happened outside working hours.
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It said the staff there only worked from 8.30am to 4.30pm with off days on Fridays and Saturdays during the dry season, with round-the-clock surveillance only done during rainy or flood seasons.
The incident occurred at 10pm on May 13, a Saturday, with the faulty barrage gate opening.
By sunrise on May 14, water levels at Sungai Muda had fallen from their normal 3m to 0.67m, affecting some 678,983 consumers in Penang and Kedah.
