31/03/2026

TUESDAY | MAR 31, 2026

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‘Track record of Lynas plant underscores focus on safety’

radiation-related industries, with fears later spilling into debates about the plant. “Sometimes, public concern grew louder than what the scientific assessments were actually showing, even though data from monitoring remained within controlled limits.” He also highlighted Lynas’s strategic importance, adding that rare earth materials are central to modern manufacturing and advanced technology supply chains. “Rare earth income is not just billions, it is trillions. They are used in gadgets, handphones, drones, TVs and satellites. “So concerns about danger are very minor. But we still control it with good safety measures.” – By Faiz Ruzman “To capture emerging opportunities in high-growth sectors, Malaysia must position itself as both an investment and a talent hub. “Attracting expatriates should be seen as a strategic enabler of local talent development and economic expansion,” Syed Hussain said. On Jan 14, the Home Ministry announced that the revised expatriate employment policy will take effect on June 1, introducing higher salary thresholds across all Employment Pass categories as well as fixed employment periods. Category I has been raised from RM10,000 to RM20,000 and above, Category II from RM5,000–RM9,999 to RM10,000–RM19,999, and Category III from RM3,000–RM4,999 to RM5,000–RM9,999, with a RM7,000–RM9,999 exception for the manufacturing and related services sector. – By Faiz Ruzman Balance needed for expatriate employment PETALING JAYA: Employers have said rigid implementation of Malaysia’s revised expatriate employment policy could undermine efforts to grow high-value industries, as businesses grapple with a shortage of specialised talent needed to sustain investment momentum. Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said Putrajaya must strike a careful balance between reducing reliance on foreign labour and ensuring companies retain access to critical expertise in emerging sectors. “Malaysia must strike the right balance between developing local talent and attracting global expertise. “Expatriates play a critical catalytic role in accelerating knowledge transfer, capability building and innovation within our workforce.” MEF said the concern is particularly acute as Malaysia positions itself to attract investments in high-growth areas such as data centres, generative artificial intelligence, green energy, and environmental, social and governance compliance – sectors in which local capabilities are still evolving and highly experienced talent remains scarce. It emphasised that the revised framework should not be treated solely as a labour control mechanism but also as part of a broader strategy to strengthen the domestic talent pipeline without eroding the country’s appeal to multinational investors. “Knowledge transfer is not instantaneous. It requires time, structured engagement and continuous exposure. “Therefore, tenure policies must be sufficiently flexible to allow meaningful transfer of skills and expertise to Malaysians.” MEF also urged that succession planning requirements be applied in a practical, industry-sensitive manner, particularly for highly-specialised roles in which localisation may take longer to achieve. It added that Malaysia’s attractiveness to global talent hinges not only on employment regulations, but also on efficient immigration processes, ease of doing business and overall living conditions.

o Refining process does not increase or concentrate radioactive material: Spokesperson

Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: For 14 years, Lynas Malaysia’s rare earth plant in Gebeng, Kuantan, has operated without a single incident harming public health or the environment, even as experts urge vigilance over radioactive waste in Malaysia’s tropical conditions. The company said the record underscores the safety of its operations as it embarks on a new decade under a renewed licence. In an email to theSun , a company spokesperson said concerns about radioactive elements such as thorium and uranium should be considered in the context of naturally occurring materials already present in soil and rocks. “Radioactivity is a natural part of life, and thorium and uranium are found naturally in soil and rocks all around the world. “The Water Leach Purification (WLP) residues generated from the Lynas plant have been scientifically tested and proven to be non-hazardous.” The company clarified that its refining process does not increase or concentrate radioactive content in its residue stream. “The first stage of processing at the Lynas Malaysia advanced materials plant separates the rare earths from the surrounding low-level naturally occurring radioactive material. “There is no enhancement or concentration during this process and levels remain the same,” the spokesperson added. On long-term environmental safeguards, Lynas said its residue storage systems, including the permanent disposal facility for WLP residue, are designed and managed to prevent any impact on surrounding soil, groundwater or nearby communities. The spokesperson said the company uses filter presses to produce dry residue stacks in line with international best practices, with facilities monitored regularly by independent scientific experts and regulators. “Lynas Malaysia’s residue storage facilities meet Malaysia’s regulations as well as international standards, including those adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency.”

Lynas said the plant has undergone four independent scientific reviews, including two by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which found it to be low risk, compliant with regulations and aligned with international best practices. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN

strength of our processes and policies.” Lynas added that the plant has undergone four independent scientific reviews, including two by the International Atomic Energy Agency, which found it to be of low risk, compliant with regulations and aligned with international best practices. On March 2, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Chang Lih Kang announced that Lynas Malaysia had received a 10-year licence renewal for its rare earth processing plant in Gebeng from March 3 until March 2, 2036. Since the renewal, environmental experts have raised concerns over the long-term behaviour of radioactive traces in waste from rare earth refining, particularly in Malaysia’s tropical conditions. On March 16, experts told theSun that heavy rainfall and groundwater movement could affect how such materials behave over time if waste is not carefully managed, with potential pathways into soil, groundwater, rivers and the wider food chain.

The company added that research into the use of WLP residue as a soil conditioner has shown it to be safe for agricultural applications. It also said under the new licence, Lynas will stop producing WLP waste by 2031, and the company is already working to reduce the radioactivity of existing waste to very low, safe levels. “Over the past three years, Lynas has worked with the Department of Atomic Energy, and Malaysian and Australian academic institutions to remove thorium from WLP residue during production through low-temperature cracking. “The project has completed laboratory and pilot stages, with industrial-scale trials next.” Highlighting its operational record, Lynas said the Gebeng plant has run safely for 14 years without any incident affecting public health or the environment. “The Lynas Malaysia advanced materials plant has operated safely for 14 years since operations commenced. This reflects the

Radiation fears driven more by politics than actual risk: Expert PETALING JAYA: Public fear over Lynas Malaysia’s rare earth plant has often been driven more by politics than actual radiation risk, according to a former nuclear regulator who oversaw assessments of the plant’s radioactive activities during his years in government service. The former director-general of the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB), which previously handled licensing before the Department of Atomic Energy assumed full oversight, said concerns about Lynas should be separated from technical findings collected over years of monitoring. He requested not to be named. considered safe for workers, nearby communities and the environment,” he told theSun via phone yesterday. “When we say something needs a licence, it does not mean it is dangerous. It means we want to control it properly, so it does not harm individuals. “The hard limit for the public is one millisievert (mSv) per year, and that is what we calculate against. That dose determines whether something is dangerous. “Throughout my assessments, we recorded no effects at all. We only license the Lynas factory so it could be controlled safely.” on sampling, calculations and inter-agency review covering environmental, safety and radiation-related checks. “Monitoring includes water, groundwater, air and other environmental samples.” He described readings linked to Lynas during his tenure as “very low.” “When the factory is operating, we monitor it closely. We take water samples, groundwater samples, air samples and other environmental samples. When we analyse them, we see the content is really low. There’s a lot of calculation involved, so you cannot simply say, ‘Oh, it is dangerous’.”

“People often get worried by the word ‘radioactive’, but the real question for regulators is whether exposure stays within limits

He added that public anxiety around Lynas was shaped by earlier political battles involving

He said licensing for an industry such as Lynas is based on evidence, not assumptions, relying