KUALA LUMPUR: The new chairman of the Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) Operations Evaluation Executive Committee will be revealed at its first meeting, says Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin.
She said the committee will be given the authority to decide on who its chairman will be.
”We will allow the committee to decide on who its chairman should be when they hold their first meeting,” she said.
Kuantan member of parliament Fuziah Salleh, who was earlier slated to be the chairman, is no longer part of the committee. Fuziah had previously indicated that she was prepared to step down from the committee in order to prevent any aspersions from being cast on the committee’s future findings.
Yeo said the setting up of the committee was in line with the new government’s aim of not turning Malaysia into a dumping ground of turning Malaysia into a “dumping ground” for tainted materials by foreign companies.
“Following a Cabinet meeting held last Wednesday (Oct 10), it was decided that we would appoint committee members who have not openly stated whether they were for or against Lynas’ operation.
“This is to prevent any quarters from questioning the credibility of the executive committee based on its members’ personal opinions.
“The executive committee is tasked with assessing the matter objectively, transparently and openly. Its proceedings will also be open to the public, who can attend as observers,” she told reporters at the Parliament lobby.
The assessment, said Yeo, will also involve an extension period for storing scheduled waste in line with Regulation 9 of the Environmental Quality (Scheduled Wastes) Regulations 2005.
The committee, she added, has been given six weeks to conduct its assessment and submit a report coupled with recommendations to the government, which will be open to the media and investors.