Latest news with #Kelantan
Free Malaysia Today
19 hours ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Kelantan govt seals rare earths pact with Lynas
Lynas Rare Earths CEO and managing director Amanda Lacaze said Malaysia is already recognised as a rare earths centre of excellence through Lynas's operations. (AP pic) PETALING JAYA : The Kelantan government's investment arm has struck an agreement with Australia's Lynas Rare Earths Ltd to develop the state's rare earth resources that are essential for high-tech industries. The Australian mining company said today it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the state's Menteri Besar Inc (MB Inc) that provides a framework to negotiate a deal for the future supply of mixed rare-earths carbonate feedstock to Lynas. Under the non-binding agreement, the parties will cooperate on the growth of the rare earths industry in Kelantan and work towards developing Malaysia's locally sourced and separated rare earth products. 'Malaysia's ionic clay deposits have excellent potential as future feedstock for Lynas Malaysia, particularly given their high proportion of heavy rare earths which are in demand for future facing technologies including electric vehicles and electronics,' Lynas CEO Amanda Lacaze said in a statement. She said this initiative brings together Lynas Malaysia's expertise on the rare earths industry spanning more than a decade and Kelantan's rare earth resources. 'We look forward to working with MB Inc to ensure the (rare earths) it produces meets the high environmental and technical standards required by Lynas and our customers in Malaysia as well as global manufacturing supply chains,' she added. Lynas has been operating a processing plant on the outskirts of Kuantan, Pahang, since 2012. The miner currently sources all of its rare earths from the Mt Weld mine in Western Australia. The Kelantan land and minerals office previously stated that rare earth elements have been found in large quantities in Jeli and Gua Musang. Last December, the department said it deployed drones to monitor remote locations identified as having rare earth elements to prevent illegal mining activities. News reports then indicated police had arrested 55 individuals after uncovering an illegal rare earth mining operation in Gua Musang. Meanwhile, the federal government is encouraging state administrations to allow rare earth mining. Outgoing natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad was reported to have said Malaysia aims to position itself as a regional hub for rare earth mining and processing. 'Lynas's plant in Malaysia is the first plant outside China that can process heavy rare earth elements,' he said during a visit to the Lynas plant earlier this month. He added this achievement increased the nation's competitiveness in the rare earth elements market. Rare earths and geopolitics Geopolitical tension is fuelling interest in finding new sources of rare earths supply. After the US slapped ultra-high reciprocal tariffs on China last month, the Asian giant retaliated by tightening restrictions on the export of rare-earth materials, targeting US manufacturers, including Tesla. With the Trump administration now having a truce with China over its tariffs, exports of rare earths restarted this month for some companies. China remains in the driving seat as it currently refines almost all of the world's heavy rare earth elements, including dysprosium and terbium. Lynas has been seeking to break that stranglehold, and recently began commissioning a new separation circuit that will make it the only commercial producer of separated heavy rare earth products outside of China. Ironically, the opposition-controlled state of Kelantan may turn out to be a starting point in helping the US and its allies break China's virtual monopoly in rare earth elements.
Malay Mail
21 hours ago
- General
- Malay Mail
In Kelantan, three killed in express bus-car crash in Kuala Krai (VIDEO)
KUALA KRAI, May 30 — Three people were killed in an accident between an express bus and a car along Jalan Kuala Krai-Gua Musang, near Kampung Sungai Sam here today. A Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) of Kelantan spokesman said they received an emergency call at 11.20am before dispatching a team which reached the scene 35 minutes later. 'Upon arrival at the scene, the team found an express bus and a Perodua Myvi involved in a collision, with three victims, a man and two women, pinned in the Myvi car. Their bodies were handed over to the police,' he said in a statement today. He said the bus driver sustained minor injuries and that the team used special equipment to extricate the victims pinned in the car. — Bernama
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Lynas, Kelantan join forces to tap local rare earths for Kuantan plant
KUANTAN, May 30 — Lynas Rare Earths Ltd and the Kelantan state government's investment arm, Menteri Besar Incorporated (MB Inc), have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the supply of mixed rare earths carbonate (MREC). In a statement today, Lynas said the MoU is non-binding and remains subject to the negotiation and finalisation of definitive agreements. It said the memorandum outlines a framework for both parties to strengthen, promote and develop cooperation to advance the Malaysian rare earths industry in Kelantan. 'It also provides a basis for MB Inc and Lynas to negotiate a definitive agreement for the supply of MREC feedstock to the Lynas Malaysia Advanced Materials Plant in Kuantan once the project commences production,' it added. Lynas Rare Earths chief executive officer and managing director Amanda Lacaze said Malaysia is already recognised as a rare earths centre of excellence through Lynas' operations, and the MoU marks a significant step towards developing locally sourced and separated rare earth products. 'Lynas is delighted to sign this MoU with the Kelantan state government's MB Inc. This is a significant step for Lynas and the Malaysian rare earths industry, bringing together Lynas Malaysia's over a decade of rare earths industry expertise and Kelantan state's rare earth resources,' she said. Lacaze noted that Malaysia's ionic clay deposits have strong potential as future feedstock for Lynas Malaysia, particularly due to the high concentration of heavy rare earths, which are in demand for advanced technologies such as electric vehicles and electronics. 'We look forward to working closely with MB Inc to ensure that the MREC produced meets the high environmental and technical standards required by Lynas and our customers across Malaysian and global manufacturing supply chains,' she added. — Bernama
Malay Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Malay Mail
Spike in diabetes, high cholesterol in Kelantan above national average, says health minister
KOTA BARU, May 30 — Cases of diabetes and high cholesterol levels among the people in Kelantan recorded an increase exceeding the national average indicator, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad. He said that based on the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2023, 16.3 per cent of the people in Kelantan suffered from diabetes, an increase of 0.7 per cent compared to the national average indicator of 15.6 per cent. 'High cholesterol levels also showed an increase among the people in Kelantan, recording 34.9 per cent. The national average indicator is 33.3 per cent,' he said when opening the Kelantan Wellness Hub Open Day in Pengkalan Chepa, here today, which was also attended by State Health director Datuk Dr Zaini Hussin. He said 51.6 per cent of the people in Kelantan (national average is 54.4 per cent) are categorised as overweight or obese, while for high blood pressure, it was 27.9 per cent (national average is 9.2 per cent). He described the findings on Kelantan in the BNHMS 2023 as worrying, although the state recorded better performance in several indicators compared to the national level. 'To address this, the ministry has introduced and implemented the 'Agenda Nasional Malaysia Sihat' (ANMS) as a platform to mobilise the culture of a healthy lifestyle,' he said. — Bernama
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Restaurant assistant charged with raping Form 3 student
The court set bail at RM8,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to refrain from disturbing the witnesses and report to a police station once a month. (Reuters pic) PETALING JAYA : A restaurant assistant was charged in the Kota Bharu sessions court today with raping a Form 3 student on Jan 24. Berita Harian reported that Wan Izzuddin Wan Hasim, 21, pleaded not guilty when the charge was read before judge Ahmad Bazli Bahruddin. He was accused of raping a 14-year-old girl in a room in Padang Sri Paduka, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, at 3am on Jan 24. The charge was made under Section 376(1) of the Penal Code for rape, which provides for up to 20 years' imprisonment and a whipping. The prosecution was led by deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Faiz Fitri Mohamad, while Wan Izzuddin was represented by lawyer Ahmad Nurie Abd Rahman. Faiz asked for no bail to be offered, but Nurie requested for bail, saying his client earned only RM1,000 a month. The court set bail at RM8,000 with one surety and ordered the accused to refrain from disturbing the witnesses and report to a police station once a month. It also set June 30 for re-mention of the case.
