KUANTAN: Kuantan member of parliament, Fuziah Salleh has relinquished her post as chairman of the Lynas Corporation Ltd (Lynas) evaluation committee, set up to review into the rare-earth plant’s operations.
Fuziah, who is Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said she had taken serious consideration before informing Cabinet about her decision on Tuesday.
“Personally, I do not want Lynas to use me to divert attention from the issue (radioactive waste)... If I remain in the committee then I will not be able to provide comments to the media and the public.
“When I am no longer chairman, it will be easier for me to make comments and fight from the outside. If I am inside (part of committee), I can't talk as they will question me,” she told reporters when met at the Asnaf (underprivileged) Entrepreneur Carnival here today.
Bentong member of parlaiment, Wong Tack is also part of the committee which was established last month.
When asked about her replacement, Fuziah said she would leave it to Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin to make an announcement soon.
On the peaceful rally by some 1,000 Lynas Malaysia staff and their respective families at Balok here last Saturday, Fuziah said the management only spoke about the plight of their workers but did not discuss in depth about the fate of the 600,000 residents living in the state capital.
She said the management from Australia only informed that the radioactive from the Lynas operation is low but never discussed about radioactive waste emissions.
“We are speaking about radioactive waste and not low radioactive...the waste should not be left in Gebeng Industrial Park.
"I challenge them (Lynas). If they claim that it is safe (radioactive waste) then send it to Australia.” she said.