Pahang Pakatan Harapan assemblypersons have expressed their disappointment with the cabinet’s decision on Australia’s Lynas Corp, which has a rare earth processing plant in Gebeng, Pahang.

However, they also acknowledged that the government’s options with regards to handling the Lynas issue were limited.

“We concede that this issue is actually a burden left behind by Umno/BN following their approval back then.

“Radioactive waste that has accumulated is now more than 500,000 tonnes, and there is no suitable site which can be used as a permanent disposal site,” the assemblypersons said in a joint statement today.

The assemblypersons who co-signed the statement are Lee Chin Chen (Bilut), Syefura Othman (Ketari), Kamachi A Doray Rajoo (Sabai), Chow Yu Hui (Tras), Woo Chee Wan (Mentakab), Leong Yew Mun (Triang), Chiong Yoke Kong (Tanah Rata), Lee Chean Chung (Semambu), and Sim Chon Siang (Teruntum).

They also urged the cabinet to reconsider its decision because they claimed Lynas had failed to meet the set conditions.

“We also urge the Umno/BN state government not to approve of a disposal site in Pahang because there are no suitable places for such use,” they said.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had said they were waiting for Lynas to make a proposal on how it will deal with its low-level radioactive waste.

“We are giving this condition to Lynas – that they should have a plan for dealing with the waste.

“We are waiting for them to tell us how they are going to do that, whether they find a place where they can deposit the waste or not,” he had said.

On July 25, Lynas had said it was confident that the licence to run its US$800 million (RM3.29 billion) rare earth processing plant in Gebeng would be renewed before the Sept 2 deadline.