Lim taken to task over remarks on Lynas

Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong (left) and Lim Guan Eng

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong has called on Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng to apologise over his “baseless rant” on Lynas.

The MCA president made the call with regard to a video clip, showing Lim, who was then Penang chief minister, berating the rare earth processing plant, saying that the then Pakatan Harapan Opposition was against the “nuclear plant”.

“Now that he has been installed as a very powerful Finance Minister, does he remember the content of the speech he delivered?” Dr Wee said in his Facebook post yesterday.

He called on netizens to reflect on Lim’s speech, including the hashtag #DuluLain­SekarangLain (before it was different, now it is different).

In the one-minute 32-second video clip, Lim can be heard addressing a crowd, saying that Pakatan would oppose Lynas and stop its operations.

Lim also said all Malaysians, irrespective of race, would be affected if the Lynas plant explodes, as there was a nuclear plant.

“Keeping quiet? Where did the nuclear plant go? Still dangerous? Or has the nuclear effect vanished after Pakatan’s rule?” Dr Wee questioned.

He said that Lim should apologise and retract his baseless statement.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Tun Dr Maha­thir Mohamad said Malaysia would allow Australian rare earth producer Lynas Corp to keep operating its plant in Gebeng, Pahang.Dr Mahathir’s comments removed the uncertainty hanging over the future of Lynas’ US$800mil (RM3.35bil) plant after Malaysia halted the renewing process of its licence due to waste disposal concerns.

Australia has since welcomed the Malaysian government’s intention to renew the operating licence of Lynas.