KUALA LUMPUR – Former Umno Youth exco member Datuk Fathul Bari Mat Jaya has backed Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail’s claim of rare earth element (REE) mineral theft in Kedah.
However, Fathul implied that Prospek Suria Sdn Bhd, the mining company said to be owned by Chinese national So Loi Fat, is not involved in the allegations.
“What (Saifuddin) has said about the REE theft is true. Alhamdulillah, it’s not (by) our company, Prospek Suria,” he said in a brief post on Facebook late last night.
Checks by Scoop on the Companies Commission of Malaysia documents found that Fathul is listed as one of three shareholders in Prospek Suria.
In a separate post, Fathul said his role as a shareholder of the company is meant to ensure the expansion of the REE industry in Malaysia.
He added that he had participated in engagement sessions involving the company and Kedah state, as well as the Mineral and Geoscience Department, Forestry Department, and the state’s Lands and Mines Office.
“We (Prospek Suria) began the application process for an exploration licence in 2020 and received approval in January 2021. We were also granted a mining lease licence in August last year.
“The process of securing both licences complied with requirements set by the Kedah government and relevant agencies.”
He said the company has not managed to obtain a mining licence as it “involves the approval of an environmental impact assessment and the federal government’s standard operating procedures”.
Fathul added that matters relating to the potential and importance of REE mining in Kedah had been presented to the state administration in a meeting chaired by the state secretary.
“Prospek Suria is not involved in any REE theft. The party that stole REE has been arrested by authorities.”
In an ongoing spat, Saifuddin had previously accused PAS elections director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor, who is also caretaker Kedah menteri besar, of abetting So to illegally extract precious rare earth elements in the state.
In response to Sanusi’s claim of not knowing So, the minister, who is also Kedah Pakatan Harapan election director, produced a photo of the duo.
Saifuddin also revealed a document from 2021 signed by Sanusi for then-home minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin on the man’s application to enter the country.
Sanusi had then hit back by claiming that So’s lawyer is a “good friend” of Saifuddin, saying So had been in the country even before he was appointed menteri besar in 2021. – August 3, 2023