
Federal govt encourages states to allow rare earth mining
KLANG: The federal government is encouraging state administrations to permit legal rare earth mining, following the successful first production of separated heavy rare earths at Australian company Lynas Rare Earths' processing plant in Kuantan, Pahang, on Friday.
Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said Malaysia aims to position itself as a regional hub for rare earth mining and processing.
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Free Malaysia Today
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- Free Malaysia Today
Rafizi sticks to his guns on Cabinet resignation
Economy minister Rafizi Ramli submitted his resignation letter on May 28. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : Rafizi Ramli appears set to follow through with his decision to resign as economy minister, despite Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim expressing hope that he and another minister who recently quit the Cabinet would reconsider their decisions. In a post on X today, Rafizi reflected on his last day at the ministry, thanking his team of policy officers for their efforts in implementing economic initiatives. 'I went into the office for the last time yesterday and today (Friday) to settle final matters, including clearing out my office,' he said. He also said there were some on his team whom he had persuaded to leave their previous careers in order to serve in his office. 'They have been critical in translating my ideas into executable plans. Now, they will return to their respective fields,' he said. Rafizi and natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad submitted their resignation letters on May 28. However, Anwar said yesterday that while he had received the leave applications and resignation letters from the duo, he had only approved their applications to go on leave. Rafizi is on leave until June 16 while Nik Nazmi's leave ends on July 3. Nik Nazmi, a two-term MP, failed to retain his PKR vice-president post while Rafizi lost the party's deputy presidency to Nurul Izzah Anwar.


New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
Anwar: Govt paid RM486k for Dr M's official visit to Japan
MELAKA: The government bore almost half a million ringgit in costs for former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's trip to Japan to attend the annual Nikkei conference last month, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar said the government had allocated approximately RM486,000 for the visit after receiving a formal application from Dr Mahathir. "There are existing provisions for former prime ministers to apply for government support for official travel, and if the sitting prime minister approves, the government will bear the cost, including for Tun Mahathir, who recently requested to attend the Nikkei conference in Japan. He applied, and I approved it. I believe the delegation comprised around seven people. "People ask me why we paid for him. He is entitled to apply, but the decision lies with the sitting prime minister. I decided to approve the RM486,000 for him to go to Japan. "I just don't want anyone to misunderstand. I don't want to take a negative attitude. Despite his daily criticisms of the government, we still approved his travel application," Anwar told reporters here today. On May 30, Dr Mahathir was reported to have attended and delivered a speech at the annual Nikkei Future of Asia conference, a platform he has attended regularly over the years. In a separate development, Anwar said he was giving time to two cabinet ministers who recently submitted resignation letters, encouraging them to reconsider their decisions. The prime minister said he had received letters from the two ministers applying for leave and resignation, but had only approved their leave for now. "Let them think about it. Personally, I would prefer that they rejoin the cabinet," he said. The ministers in question, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli and Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, reportedly submitted their resignations following defeats in recent party elections. Anwar was speaking after attending an organisational empowerment seminar and a closed-door meeting with PKR leaders here today. Also present were PKR vice-presidents Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari and Datuk Seri R. Ramanan, secretary-general Senator Fuziah Salleh, Wanita chief Fadhlina Sidek, Youth chief Muhammad Kamil Abdul Munim, and Hang Tuah Jaya division chief Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin. During the seminar, Anwar urged PKR members to heal internal rifts and put aside dissatisfaction following the party polls last month. He also emphasised the need for unity and maturity for the party's greater mission. "Imagine this, I can work with Umno, even hugging it out. Surely, we can move past our internal disagreements too. Let's move on for the bigger agenda," he added.


New Straits Times
a day ago
- New Straits Times
Rafizi clocks into office for the last time
PUTRAJAYA: Economy Minister Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli appeared to suggest that his decision to resign from his Cabinet post was final, after saying that he had clocked into his office for the final time. The Pandan member of parliament, via a post on X, said he was at the office to resolve several issues, including to 'clean up his office.' "I was in the office for the final time yesterday to handle some outstanding issues as well as to clean up," he said. Previously, Rafizi had submitted his resignation letter shortly after his defeat in the PKR deputy presidency race last month. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who is the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Minister, later followed suit. However, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday said he hoped that the two would reconsider their decision. He said he had only approved their leave for now, and would personally prefer it if they rejoined the Cabinet. Meanwhile, in the same posting, Rafizi also thanked his officers, whom he credited as being the prime movers behind many of the ministry's initiatives. "These are the people whom I had convinced to leave their respective fields and come serve with me. "From chilli to semiconductors, to startup ecosystems, the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JSSEZ), National Energy Transition Plan (NETR), progressive wages up to the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13), they had translated many of my ideas into reality," he said. His team had comprised Dr Azraai Bahari Nasruddin, an endocrinologist from the University of Cambridge; and Benjamin Quek, a fund manager who graduated in banking and finance from Monash University and Johns Hopkins University. He also mentioned James Chai, a University of London and Oxford University law graduate and author; Ismaty Qayyum, a Politics, Philosophy and Economy graduate from the London School of Economics; and Haqimi Zamri a Politics and International Relations graduate from the University of Nottingham. "I learned many things from them, perhaps even more than what they learned from me," he said.