KUALA LUMPUR: The government is reviewing the Mineral Development Act 1994 to enhance the management of rare earth elements (REE) nationwide, said Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

He said a special task force led by the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry (NRES) has been formed to oversee the effort, with members from the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry, Economy Ministry, Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry and Finance Ministry (MOF).

“This task force will discuss strategies to develop the entire REE industry. Discussions with all stakeholders are ongoing to maximise the benefits for all quarters.

KUALA LUMPUR, 2 Dis (Bernama) -- Kerajaan sedang mengkaji dan menyemak semula Akta Pembangunan Mineral 1994 dalam usaha menambah baik pengurusan unsur nadir bumi (REE) yang terdapat di seluruh negara.

Menteri Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad berkata bagi tujuan itu sebuah pasukan petugas khas telah diwujudkan yang dipengerusikan oleh Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES) serta turut dianggotai Kementerian Pelaburan, Perdagangan dan Industri (MITI); Kementerian Ekonomi; Kementerian Sains, Teknologi dan Inovasi (MOSTI) serta Kementerian Kewangan (MOF).
"Hal ini untuk membincangkan bagaimana kita nak membangunkan keseluruhan industri REE daripada peringkat huluan ke peringkat hiliran dan kalau kita lihat pada waktu ini kita juga berbincang dengan semua pihak supaya kita dapat memanfaatkannya sebaik mungkin.

"Isu REE ini kita nak pastikan kita dapat sampaikan manfaatnya kepada semua atau kepada negeri- negeri yang ada, jadi kita tiada masalah untuk bekerjasama dengan negeri-negeri malah kebanyakan kerajaan negeri terbuka dalam hal ini dan kita dapat kehadiran menteri-menteri besar dari negeri berkaitan untuk membincangkan perkara ini," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika menggulung perbahasan Rang Undang-Undang Perbekalan (Belanjawan) 2025 bagi kementerian itu peringkat jawatankuasa di Dewan Rakyat hari ini.
Nik Nazmi berkata Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Lynas Malaysia) juga menyatakan kesediaan untuk membangunkan laluan bagi memproses REE karbonat negara kerana sifatnya yang berbeza daripada REE yang diproses syarikat itu di Australia.

"Projek perintis yang kita ada di Kenering, Perak mereka diberi kebenaran khas dalam tempoh tertentu untuk mengeksport ke China buat sementara waktu, sementara belum ada tempat pemprosesan lain yang ada di negara kita.

"Tetapi kita dalam proses untuk memastikan ada kemudahan atau fasiliti untuk setiap peringkat bagi industri REE ini," katanya.
Sementara itu, Nik Nazmi berkata Jabatan Perlindungan Hidupan Liar dan Taman Negara (Perhilitan) dengan kerjasama syarikat perladangan sudah memulakan projek rintis untuk pembinaan foodbank atau bank makanan gajah bagi mengurangkan kesan konflik manusia dan hidupan liar.

Beliau berkata di Johor misalnya, NRES sudah mengenal pasti 21 lokasi food bank bagi mamalia itu dengan mengambil kira corak pergerakan atau penghijrahan haiwan berkenaan dan pendekatan pembinaan foodbank buat masa ini adalah secara sumbangan menerusi tanggungjawab sosial korporat syarikat perladangan.

"Projek rintis telah dimulakan di sebuah ladang berhampiran dengan Taman Negara Endau-Rompin dan sesi libat urus dengan ladang-ladang berhampiran juga telah dirancang dan untuk dilaksanakan," katanya. Dalam masa sama katanya, Perhilitan juga akan meneruskan usaha mitigasi meredakan konflik manusia- hidupan liar seperti langkah tangkap dan pindah serta pemasangan pagar elektrik.
Selain itu, Nik Nazmi berkata NRES akan membawa cadangan kepada MOF untuk meneruskan inisiatif Tabung Bantuan Kerugian Harta Benda dan Tanaman Akibat Serangan Hidupan Liar bagi membantu individu yang terkesan dengan konflik manusia-hidupan liar.

"Setakat November 2024, sebanyak 246 pemohon telah menerima bayaran menerusi tabung dengan jumlah keseluruhan RM978,000 melibatkan penduduk kampung, komuniti setempat dan Orang Asli yang kerugian akibat serangan hidupan liar... kita akan meminta program ini diteruskan kerana kita rasa wajar dan jumlahnya tidak terlalu besar," katanya.
Dewan Rakyat kemudian meluluskan anggaran keseluruhan perbelanjaan mengurus dan pembangunan berjumlah RM2,267,293,100 yang diperuntukkan kepada NRES dalam Belanjawan 2025 dengan lebih suara menyokong selepas dibahas 21 Ahli Parlimen.
Persidangan bersambung esok.
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-- BERNAMA

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will ensure the development of the rare earth element (REE) industry progresses, simultaneously encompassing the upstream and downstream sectors to meet industrial needs, said Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli. He stated that the strategy is aimed at enabling industry players, including international companies, to prepare and seize opportunities available in Malaysia. As part of this strategy, plans have been outlined to establish two processing plants in the next three years.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Rafizi expressed hope that global investors, particularly those from Japan, would recognize Malaysia’s plan. He indicated that investments built around processing plants or downstream industries, like battery factories, require a timeline of two to three years to materialize. Rafizi emphasized the importance of this timeline for investment planning during his speech at a conference organized by the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC).

Rafizi further highlig
hted Malaysia’s current lack of technological expertise in processing REE raw materials and the need to attract investments from advanced nations to develop this capability. He noted that the government’s policy of banning unprocessed REE exports is intended to boost national revenue from these resources. He acknowledged the challenge posed by state governments, which might advocate for the resumption of REE exports due to their reliance on industry royalties.

The Economy Minister also expressed concern that allowing exports could deplete Malaysia’s raw material reserves swiftly. Therefore, the federal government remains focused on establishing processing plants to prevent the exhaustion of these valuable resources.

KUALA BERANG: The relevant authorities have been instructed to step up monitoring landslide-prone areas along hill slopes throughout the Northeast Monsoon season, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said.

He said that it would also help to ensure that landslides like the one that occurred in Kampung Bukit Apit, Ajil near here that killed two sisters yesterday and further landslides in the area do not recur.
"Issues relating to landslides are under the Department of Mineral and Geoscience (JMG), so we will send a team from the department to the location (of the landslide).

"We need to see if there is any underground water flow that might cause further slides," he told reporters after visiting the family of the two sisters killed in the Kampung Bukit Apit landslide and inspecting the landslide location together with several government departments and agencies here today.

During his visit, Ahmad Zahid, who is also National Disaster Management Committee chairman, provided donations to the victims' mother, Ruziah Fuad, 46, who is currently staying at a new rented house prepared by the state government in a nearby area.

He also advised the public, especially those living in hilly areas or slopes to be cautious during the monsoon season, and urged all parties to be prepared as the monsoon season is expected to be worse than 2014 and will hit not only East Coast states, but other states as well.

Sisters Puteri Sajidah, 16, and Siti Fatimah, 13 were found buried under the landslide, while their eldest sister Uzair Azman, 17, was rescued from under a concrete wall in the living room area yesterday.