IPOH: The Perak state government intends to place the success of rare earth mining as the focus of the Perak Sejahtera 2030 plan, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said.
He added that the state government was currently waiting and studying the decisions from various ministries involved before the rare earth mining could begin.
"We are thinking of building mainstream factories or in the upstream. We might not sell it in its raw form but will build many factories so that there will be more jobs," he said at a media conference after the first-year anniversary of Perak Sejahtera 2030 at the Ipoh Convention Centre here yesterday (June 15).
On Perak Opposition Leader Razman Zakaria's statement reminding him of his stand of not selling water to Pulau Pinang, Saarani said the decision was based on the current situation.
"We will sell to whomever wants to buy and sell at a suitable price. If there is allocation from the Federal Government for us to make a treatment plant and can help the Perak Water Board to provide water supply to those in Kerian for agriculture purposes.
"We did not agree previously to sell as they asked for raw water and to process it over there and sell it back to us. We want to process it in the state and sell it to them.
"If we have surplus in the state, people want to buy and it generates income, why not? If Kelantan wants to buy, we will sell, as long as they pay," he added. – Bernama