SARAWAK WILL NOT EXPORT RARE EARTH ELEMENTS - ABANG JOHARI

SEMATAN (Sarawak), Oct 29 (Bernama) -- Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg announced today that the state will not export its rare earth elements (REE).

He emphasised that REE represents a significant resource with substantial potential to drive the state's economic development and should therefore be retained for local value-added development.

"Rare earth elements contain highly valuable strategic components. This is precisely why we see China refusing to export its REE resources.

"Here in Sarawak, we possess these resources, but we will not export them as they represent crucial components for developing local technology products," he said during his address at the state-level National Environment Day celebration here today.

This decision comes amid previous reports from the Department of Minerals and Geoscience Malaysia that listed Sarawak among 10 states identified as potentially holding non-radioactive REE deposits, with an estimated value reaching RM809.6 billion.

Other states included in the list were Terengganu, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor and Selangor.

Meanwhile, Abang Johari announced that Sarawak will table a Bill concerning waste management at the next state assembly sitting in early December.

He explained that the proposed legislation aims, among other things, to enable waste to be converted into economic resources through recycling.

"We need to manage this waste properly. Currently, Sarawak lacks specific laws that empower us to collect waste systematically. This waste actually has the potential to be converted into a source of revenue," he said.

-- BERNAMA