The ministry said the MoU signed between Chinalco GXNF Rare Earth Development and the Perak government will only focus on research in identifying rare earths in the state, stressing that the minerals will not be extracted.

“The context of the signing of the MoU is still at an early stage, namely using the expertise of the China company in identifying potential rare earth resources in Perak, especially ion adsorption clay types which do not contain thorium or uranium waste,” it said in a statement.

Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) president Meenakshi Raman yesterday slammed the Perak government and the ministry over the deal, saying they had not learnt from the radioactive poisoning resulting from the Asian Rare Earth (ARE) plant in Bukit Merah.

Meenakshi said this allegedly included high incidences of deaths among children who suffered from leukaemia and cancer, children with elevated levels of lead in their blood, and abnormal rates of miscarriages among pregnant women.

She also said Perak was already home to a radioactive permanent waste facility in the Kledang Range which contained harmful thorium and uranium waste from the defunct ARE plant, which was operational from the mid-1980s to 1990s.

The ministry however maintained that it would support foreign collaborations that would positively impact the nation’s economy in a sustainable manner without affecting the preservation of the environment.