ALOR SETAR — Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor has suggested Putrajaya remove a policy that forbids the mining of rare earth elements (REE) in forest reserves, as the state is waiting to tap these high-value resources.
Earlier today, Sanusi, while tabling the state’s spending bill for 2025, said that Kedah will continue exploring REE which has been categorised as the most viable source of revenue for the coming years.
He thus urged the federal government to expedite introduction of standard operating procedures (SOPs) in extracting REE.
Speaking at a press conference later, Sanusi said that the absence of such SOPs prevents the state from issuing mining licenses to mining companies.
Licenses can only be issued after the applying companies obtain approval for the environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports prepared, from the Department of Environment (DoE), which is an agency under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability, Sanusi said.
‘’(We) can’t extract (REE) until the ministry has ‘made the decision’. I have proposed that ‘policy number 12’ of the ministry, which prohibits any mining activities in forest reserves, be repealed.
“They (ministry) need to fix the policy. Then only DoE can approve EIA for REE mining licenses to be issued,” said the Jeniri assemblyman to reporters, adding that REE materials were in high demand especially with increased use of electric vehicles.
Sanusi said he had been advocating for the repeal since last year in meetings of the National Mineral Council and National Land Council. This is as Kedah wants to carry out any economic activities according to the law, he added.
“So we have to raise that issue. I think even the Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) is giving serious attention to this matter (as well).”
The Menteri Besar said REE reserves in Kedah are estimated to be at 1.196 million metric tonnes, with the figures referring to new sources that are expected to be extracted in the next 10 years.
He reportedly said in 2020 that these deposits could be worth up to RM62 billion. – November 24, 2024