KUALA LUMPUR: About 16,000 tonnes of rare earth oxide were mined illegally in five states in Malaysia and exported to China, says Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
The illegal mining operations were conducted in forest reserves in Sik in Kedah, Lipis in Pahang, Pengkalan Hulu and Kuala Kangsar in Perak, and on privately owned land in the Meranti and Jelebu districts in Negri Sembilan, the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister said.
