KUALA LUMPUR: The government does not plan to establish a new entity to regulate the rare earth element (REE) industry in the country, says Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

He said this is because the existing legal framework and Federal Constitution are already sufficient to manage and regulate the industry since the development of the mineral material is under the jurisdiction of the state government.

"...but we encourage local industries to be competitive by penetrating the REE industry market from upstream to downstream.

"We want to reduce dependence on foreign countries to develop the industry, and we are aware that it is among the strategic industries involved in geopolitical competition at the international level," he said at the winding up of the Supply Bill 2025 for his ministry, at the Dewan Negara on Thursday (Dec 12).

Therefore, moving forward, Nik Nazmi said the government has recently established a special task force to discuss issues and set the direction for the development of the REE industry at all levels.

Meanwhile, on the proposal for the federal government to be the mediator to resolve the Kedah state government's claim against Penang regarding its contribution to the cost of conserving the Ulu Muda Kedah forest which is a source of water supply for both states, Nik Nazmi said this matter needs to be viewed holistically.

He understood the issue raised by the Kedah state government was because there are several river basins in the country across state borders and therefore it requires the government to come up with an integrated river basin management plan.

"In the Kedah-Penang context, they (Kedah) feel that for the water supply in Penang, the Kedah government has a burden or responsibility to preserve the area but in the current legal or constitutional framework, there is no provision (for joint river basin management).

"In Australia, there is (provided in the legislation) regarding integrated river basin management. In our country, it has indeed been proposed but has not yet received agreement at the state level.

"In this regard, it needs to be discussed further so that a win-win solution can be created to safeguard the issue or water supply in each state," he said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Aiman ​​Athirah Sabu in her winding up for the ministry said that 31 out of 155 local authorities have implemented the policy of 1% employment opportunity in the public service for Persons with Disabilities (PwD), to date.

She said the appointments involved 18 PwDs as council members and 146 PwDs as local council employees, whether permanent, temporary or contract.

"The government fully supports the efforts of local councils to uphold the involvement of PwDs in their respective organisational structures and service delivery systems, in line with the desire to uphold the interests of an inclusive, fair and inclusive public service," she said. - Bernama

KUALA LUMPUR: Kementerian Sumber Asli dan Kelestarian Alam (NRES) meningkatkan kerjasama dengan pihak berkuasa, terutama Jabatan Kastam Diraja Malaysia (JKDM) dan Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM), bagi mengekang kegiatan perlombongan unsur nadir bumi (REE) secara haram serta penyeludupan bahan mineral itu ke luar negara.

Menterinya, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, berkata pihaknya sedia maklum mengenai isu itu membabitkan beberapa lokasi, termasuk di Kedah, Perak dan Kelantan.

"Kegiatan itu memang merugikan negara, justeru kita sedang berusaha mengekangnya. REE adalah perkara baharu untuk pihak berkuasa, malah ada sebahagiannya tidak maklum lagi bentuk REE.

"Saya juga ada dengar maklumat, kadang-kadang REE keluar dari sempadan secara sah tetapi diisytiharkan sebagai tanah liat atau benda lain.

"Oleh itu, kita sedang meningkatkan kerjasama dengan JKDM dan PDRM untuk mereka juga faham bagaimana bentuk REE dan penyeludupan ini berlaku," katanya kepada pemberita selepas menjadi panel pada Sesi Dialog Pasca Persidangan Parti-Parti Ke-16 Kepada Konvensyen Kepelbagaian Biologi (CBD COP16), di sini, hari ini.

Kelmarin, polis menahan 55 individu ketika membongkar kegiatan perlombongan REE disyaki secara haram di Gua Musang, sebelum bahan itu dikumpul dan diproses di Banting, Selangor, untuk dieksport ke luar negara.

Kesemua mereka ditahan melalui Operasi Khazanah Khas 1/24 dalam tiga serbuan berasingan membabitkan dua di Gua Musang dan satu lagi di Banting.

Mengulas lanjut, Nik Nazmi berkata, pihaknya yakin usaha mengekang penyeludupan REE mampu dilaksanakan jika Lynas mampu memproses bijih dari Malaysia.

"Ketika ini, Lynas belum lagi memproses bijih dari Malaysia tetapi mereka sedang mengkaji melaksanakan pemprosesan bijih dari Malaysia.

"Selain itu, ada juga kerjasama dengan pihak lain seperti di Perak yang sedang melaksanakan projek perintis pemprosesan.

"Jadi apabila ia dapat diperkembangkan dengan lebih baik, saya yakin itu akan mengecilkan ruang untuk aktiviti perlombongan haram berlaku," katanya.

Sementara itu berhubung Sesi Dialog Pasca CBD COP16 pula, Nik Nazmi berkata, Malaysia menjadi antara negara pertama yang mengintegrasikan kerangka biodiversiti global, iaitu Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) ke dalam Pelan Tindakan dan Strategi Biodiversiti Kebangsaan (NBSAP), melalui Dasar Kepelbagaian Biodiversiti Kebangsaan (DKBK) 2022-2030.

Beliau berkata, pencapaian itu adalah sangat signifikan kerana hanya ada 20 peratus negara peserta yang berbuat demikian, setakat ini.

Katanya, pencapaian Malaysia turut menarik perhatian Setiausaha Agung Pertubuhan Bangsa-bangsa Bersatu (PBB), Antonio Guterres, ketika ucapan pembukaan CBD COP16 yang mengiktiraf inisiatif Malaysia dalam melipatgandakan usaha mengekang kegiatan penyahutanan.

Selain itu, beliau berkata, Malaysia turut memenangi beberapa anugerah pada CBD COP16 yang berlangsung dari 20 Oktober hingga 2 November lalu di Cali, Colombia.

KUALA LUMPUR: Authorities may have inadvertently allowed rare earth elements (REE) to be smuggled across borders due to their inability to identify the declared substances, says Natural Resources, Environment, and Climate Change Minister, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.

He explained that his ministry is collaborating with the police and Customs to train them in recognising the various forms of REE.

He was responding to questions about the arrest of 55 individuals on Tuesday (Dec 10) in Gua Musang for smuggling REE before the minerals were transported for processing in Banting, Selangor.

“REE is a relatively new mineral. Some authorities are still unfamiliar with its appearance.

“We know that REE has been legally transported across borders but has been declared as 'clay' or 'kaolin', (a type of clay mineral with a distinct chemical composition) among other things.

“We are working with the police and Customs to help them understand the different forms of REE and the methods used in its smuggling,” said Nik Nazmi.

Nik Nazmi also expressed hope that the establishment of more legal REE processing plants in the country would reduce smuggling, which results in significant losses to the nation’s resources.

“REE smuggling does occur. Previously, we’ve seen cases in Kedah and Perak involving illegal sites.

“We will continue to combat this issue with the assistance of all relevant authorities. Currently, the only REE processing plant in Malaysia is operated by Lynas in Pahang. However, Lynas does not process locally sourced REE. That said, there are some pilot projects underway in Perak.

“As more processing plants are set up, opportunities for REE smuggling, particularly in Kedah and Perak, will diminish. This is vital to prevent further losses to the country,” he added.

IPOH: Kerajaan Perak mahu kriteria bersesuaian membabitkan kredibiliti dan pengalaman sesebuah syarikat dalam mengurus tadbir pengeluaran hasil nadir bumi (REE) diambil kira dalam syor mewujudkan prosedur operasi standard (SOP) berhubung penguatkuasaan serta pengeluaran bahan mineral itu.

Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad, berkata kriteria yang diperlukan antaranya termasuk tidak mahukan syarikat Sdn Bhd yang bermodalkan RM2 diberi kelulusan dan pengeluaran lesen bagi melombong REE menerusi SOP baharu perlombongan REE yang mahu dirangka.

Beliau berkata, perkara itu penting bagi menghindari unsur rasuah berhubung pemberian kelulusan dan pengeluaran lesen bagi melombong REE, seterusnya dapat mengelak ketirisan dan kegiatan kecurian mineral itu daripada berlaku.

Susulan itu, katanya, beliau menyambut baik, malah mengharapkan supaya syor Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) yang secara spesifik meminta diadakan SOP baharu berhubung perkara itu dengan mengambil kira kriteria bersesuaian terbabit.

"Sebarang langkah yang baik kepada negeri yang boleh mengelak berlaku ketirisan hasil dan memberi peluang orang ramai mencuri hasil bumi amat wajar dipersetujui memandangkan SOP yang ada ketika ini hanya menggariskan kaedah dan cara untuk mencari gali.

"Namun, sebelum buat SOP baharu itu, kita minta Kerajaan Pusat mewujudkan kriteria sesuai, bukan dengan mudahnya membenarkan 'syarikat dua ringgit' memohon masuk, itu tidak boleh.

"Sekurang-kurangnya syarikat itu mungkin kena ada seorang jurutera, ahli kimia, umpamanya. Jadi kalau mana-mana syarikat yang mahu masuk untuk menggali atau mengusahakan hasil REE ini, kita tak boleh mudah meluluskan, kecuali mereka ada sijil atau kriteria dipatuhi daripada SOP itu.

"Ini kerana ia membabitkan kerja cari gali, mengekstrak dan kemudian memproses bahan mineral itu yang perlu dibuat bersungguh-sungguh dan berintegriti kerana ia memandangkan soal keselamatan," katanya.

Terdahulu, Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM, Tan Sri Azam Baki dilapor berkata, pihaknya mendapati tiada SOP khusus untuk perlombongan REE, justeru mencadangkan kerajaan negeri menyediakan SOP bagi menjalankan aktiviti melombong REE bagi mengelak berlaku penyelewengan hasil REE, selain menutup ruang berlaku rasuah.

Pada September 2022, akhbar tempatan melaporkan empat syarikat dipercayai antara pemilik sembilan lot tanah di Hutan Simpan Kekal Bukit Cerakah (HSKBC), Selangor didakwa bakal mengambil untung atas angin jika kerajaan negeri Selangor membatalkan nyahwartanya yang dikeluarkan pada Mei 2022.

Dilapor, syarikat berkenaan dikenal pasti ditubuhkan dengan perkongsian modal RM2 sebelum dianugerahkan tanah kepada setiap daripadanya seperti diluluskan pada Majlis Mesyuarat Kerajaan Negeri (MMKN) Selangor untuk dinyahwarta daripada hutan simpan.

Pada persidangan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Perak pada Disember 2023, Saarani berkata, keputusan Kerajaan Persekutuan tidak membenarkan hasil REE dieksport sebelum diproses di negara ini terlebih dulu dilihat mampu mengekang tindakan pengumpulan mineral itu secara haram.