Former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak has revisited the Lynas debate, saying he is glad he never "bowed to pressure" from the then Pakatan Harapan opposition to shut down Lynas Corporation Ltd’s plant in Pahang.

Najib said the world's largest rare earth processing facility had operated safely at the Gebeng Industrial Estate in Kuantan for more than six years, providing thousands of jobs, besides generating investments.

In a Facebook post, Najib said Lynas – the second highest producer of neodymium in the world – was important as it provided an alternative source of rare earth for the world market.

The 100-hectare refinery processes concentrated rare earth mined in Australia to extract oxides such as lanthanum, cerium, neodymium and praseodymium.

These minerals are used in super magnets needed in the production of electric and hybrid car batteries, phones, high-tech electronics, wind turbines, car brakes, and energy efficient light bulbs.

Lynas and US company Molycorp Inc are the only two providers of rare earth materials outside of China.

"With Lynas, we have become an alternative supplier that helps to promote many related industries to shift their production to Malaysia.

"The plant in Kuantan has been operating safely for six years, adhering to the safety guidelines, providing jobs to thousands of workers in Kuantan, as well as generating investments in various other industries.

"So far, there have been no Wolverines or Professor Xs wandering the streets of Kuantan and its surroundings," he quipped, referring to the popular X-Men comic characters who are mutant superheroes.

"Looking back, I am glad I did not bow to the immense pressure by Pakatan Harapan to shutter the Lynas project as it has brought many advantages to the country: being the leader in (developing) new energy technology and in the renewable energy sector," Najib further added.

Renewable, green energy

Harapan, since coming into power in the May general election, has stated that it will review Lynas' operations, particularly in licensing, discharges and waste management and that a special committee would be set up.

Najib also said Malaysia was in a good position to lead the renewable and green energy industry.

He said Malaysia, through TNB, had embarked on a pilot project at a water treatment plant in Sepang several years ago, to harvest solar energy.

This is currently being done all over the world, he claimed, where solar farms are being built upon vast bodies of water such as dams.

"…I feel the government should look at this technology on a much larger scale (than the TNB project). Malaysia has many dams, lakes and water catchment areas that can be used.

"Many do not know that Malaysia is the third largest producer of solar panels outside of China and Taiwan. Before 2008, none of this existed," Najib said.