Gift or poison?

By Lim Mun Fah

It is normal for the rare earth refinery project in Gebeng, Kuantan to be greatly discussed. It is because people always raise their awareness and establish a sense of crisis through a crisis. The public have a greater understanding and concern over radiation only after the outbreak of the Japan's nuclear crisis.

Since the people have become more alert about the issue, a people-oriented government should not just ignore it.

Would the rare earth refinery bring harm to its surrounding environment and the people's health? Would the Bukit Merah rare earth plant tragedy 30 years ago repeat itself in Kuantan? These questions require patient exposition from experts and rationality from the public.

To tell the truth, I would be worried for myself, as well as my children's future if I were living in Kuantan. Who would be willing to expose themselves to radiation? Who would be willing to expose themselves to the environment that may cause cancer?

They do not have to over-interpret the people's concern. Also, they should not blame the people for being overreacted or the alternative coalition for hyping the issue.

Without a lesson learned from a previous mistake, the people will not create an unfounded fear and no one could have speculated it groundlessly.

Australia-listed Lynas Corporation executive chairman Nicholas Curtis must put forward more guarantees to convince the people to believe that the rare earth refinery in Gebeng should not be compared to the one in Bukit Merah. He must also show more evidence to convince the people that Malaysia has better chemical infrastructure compared to Australia.

It is not an alarmist talk but just a very instinctive reaction.

If the toxic substances from the refinery are not properly handled, it might lead to a big disaster.

In the early hours of 3 December 1984, methyl isocyanate gas spewed from a storage tank at the American-owned Union Carbide pesticide plant in Bhopal, India following an explosion. It had led to a horrible catastrophe and according to the official casualty released by the Indian government, 3,500 people have died in the first three days of the disaster.

However, an independent report from the Indian Medical Research Council showed that 8,000 to 10,000 people have died in the first three days and a few years later, 25,000 others have died of complications caused by the toxic gases.

It is believed that over 550,000 people have died of lung cancer, kidney failure, liver trouble and other diseases. More than 200,000 Bhopal residents have suffered permanent disability. Also, cancer rates and children mortality in Bhopal after the disaster have become much higher than other urban areas of India.

In the face of man-made disaster, even today's Japan, a country very advanced in science and technology, can do nothing much to solve the nuclear crisis, not to mention the then India, which was still a weak country at that time.

We welcome foreign investment. However, before we say "yes", we must first make it clear whether they have brought us a gift or a poison. If it is a poison, please do not hesitate and say "No"!