This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily on April 3, 2019

PUTRAJAYA: While there seems to be a discord between two ministers about the management of Lynas Corp Ltd’s wastes, Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government will decide on this issue at the cabinet meeting.

“We will answer that. We will have a talk [at] the cabinet [meeting]. There may be differences in opinion. But, what is determined by the cabinet is what is official,” the prime minister told reporters after a signing ceremony of a heads of agreement between KA Petra Sdn Bhd and Hutchison Port Holdings Ltd to jointly develop the world’s largest ship-to-ship hub in Malaysia yesterday.

On Monday, Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Md Yusof lambasted Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin for compelling Lynas to ship out its wastes from Malaysia. Mohd Redzuan said Yeo’s stand was not endorsed by the cabinet.

The two new preconditions set by the ministry of energy, science, technology, environment and climate change in December last year were for the export of water leached purification residue before Sept 2, 2019 and for the submission of an action plan on the disposal of Lynas’ 1.11 million tonnes of neutralisation underflow residue, for which the approval was valid until Feb 15, 2019.

On the arrest of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Salahuddin Ayub’s political secretary for allegedly accepting bribe in the form of a branded luxury watch, Dr Mahathir said it is up to the people to evaluate the crime.

“Only if you are working in the government, then you are not allowed to receive any gift. Even if you accepted a gift 10 years ago, it is wrong, if you are in the government,” said Dr Mahathir.

The political secretary was yesterday remanded by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission for four days over an allegation of receiving bribe in the form of an Omega watch worth RM28,000.

The 47-year-old man was believed to have received the luxury watch as gratification to enable a development company to obtain projects under the ministry concerned.