KUALA LUMPUR: State governments have been reminded to comply with the implementation of a moratorium on the export of non-radioactive rare earth elements (NR-REE), which came into force on Jan 1, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said a reminder letter on the matter had been issued to all state governments on March 6.
“The implementation of this moratorium was communicated to all state governments through a letter dated Dec 20, 2023. However, the ministry received a request from state governments to reconsider the moratorium.
“In this regard, Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) stressed during the Cabinet meeting on Feb 21 that state governments must comply with the existing policy, especially those related to NR-REE export mining operations that fall under the federal government’s jurisdiction,” he said during the Minister’s Question Time.
Nik Nazmi was responding to a question from Lee Chuan How (PH-Ipoh Timur) on the status of the ban on REE exports during the technological transition for its processing and downstream industry.-Bernama