Adapted from:
Lee Long Hui
May 9, 11
11:20am
About 1,000 people observed Mother's Day yesterday by protesting the RM700 million rare earth plant being constructed in the Gebeng industrial zone, close to Kuantan in Pahang.
The group, most of them mothers, gathered at Teluk Cempedak beach, but were not harassed by watching police as they made their point - that they do not want the plant built near their houses.
The event was organised by the '1M Malaysians Reject the 100-storey Mega Tower' Facebook group. Since last month, it had urged at least 1,000 mothers to gather for this event.
'Stop Lynas, Save Malaysia' committee chairperson Vincent Jiam who was there, said when contacted that it was “quite a nice event”.
The atmosphere was good, with people having a picnic on the beach and chatting with one another. Some lighted candles, and there was singing as well, he said.
Kuantan MP cum PKR vice-president Fuziah Salleh led Kuantan PKR in distributing 1,000 flowers including carnations, to raise awareness that radiation will affect pregnancies and the health of children.
The police officials tried to dissolve the crowd, Fuziah immediately and successfully mediated – no action was taken by the police against the participants.
PKR vice-president Tian Chua was also present in a show of solidarity with the crowd.
Jiam said about 20 policemen, led by Kuantan OCPD Mohd Jasmani Yusof, had restricted people to lighting candles. Jasmani tried to stop people from selling the 'Stop Rare Earth, Save Malaysia' t-shirts, “but when he left, people started selling again”.
“The policemen were very nice. We know that they cannot make an official statement, but they understand what we are doing,” said Jiam.
'Get out by Aug 31'
A former kindergarten teacher, Jiam reiterated that the residents want Lynas out of Malaysia before Merdeka Day on Aug 31.
“Independence-day celebrations won't have any meaning for us if our children (suffer) in the long term, due to exposure to radiation,” he said, adding that the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will hear the voice of the people.
He said Lynas can find other ways to make money.
The government has put construction of the plant on hold, pending evaluation of the project by an international panel of experts.
李龙辉
2011年5月9日
午夜 12点45分
备受莱纳斯稀土厂阴影所笼罩的关丹居民，选择以不一样的方式庆祝母亲节，近千名以母亲为主的关丹人，选择在关丹直落尖不辣海滩（Teluk Chempedak）野餐唱歌聚会，身体力行表达反对稀土厂的立场。
这场集会也引起警方的关注，并一度上前干预，但是在公正党关丹区国会议员符芝雅的协调下，警方最终没有对集会者采取行动。
除了符芝雅，公正党副主席蔡添强和英迪拉马哥打区部副主席李健聪也有在场。
公正党成功在活动中送出千朵康乃馨，向出席者表达辐射将影响孕妇和胎儿健康的讯息。
出席该活动的反对稀土救大马委员会主席严世鸿指出，昨天傍晚共有近千人响应反对“独立遗产”摩天楼的面子书群组所号召的集会，聚集在直落尖不辣海滩以不一样的形式“庆祝”母亲节。
集会气氛佳很多母亲赴会
他告诉《当今大马》，那是一个气氛非常温馨良好的集会，他们都沙滩上聊天交流，有很多母亲都有赴会。
他续指，有出席者选择在沙滩上野餐和唱歌；也有赴会者在沙滩上点蜡烛，拉布条和喊“粉碎莱纳斯”口号，惟气氛都相当和谐。
警阻止卖衣服没中断集会
严世鸿透露，由关丹警区主任莫哈末加斯马尼（Mohd Jasmani Yusof）所率领的20名制服和政治部警员也有来到现场，不过他们除了要求出席者只能在沙滩上点蜡烛之外，并没有试图终止集会。
他指出，莫哈末加斯马尼一度阻止人们售卖“拯救大马”的衣服，“但在他离开后，人们又开始卖衣服了。”
“警察非常友善，我们明白他们正式地表明立场，但他们明白我们做什么。”
稀土厂带来畸形婴孩梦魇
鉴于辐射将危害孕妇的健康，导致母亲诞下畸形婴儿，反对“独立遗产”摩天楼的面子书群组带头号召一千名母亲，在母亲节当日聚集在关丹直落尖不辣海滩，表达强烈的反对讯息。
它在活动详情中写道，“稀土厂所带来的其中一个梦魇是，母亲有可能诞下畸形婴儿。”
“当一对夫妻和家庭所盼得到的新生命，却是智障或畸形的胎儿时，你能想象他们的痛苦吗？当一名母亲在决定要否堕胎时，你能想象她的苦恼吗？”
不想孩子长期受辐射束缚
严世鸿重申，基于人民的强烈反对，他们要求稀土厂在今年8月31日国庆日之前撤离大马。
“否则，若辐射成为我们孩子的长期束缚，庆祝自由对我们而言将没有意义。”
他坦言，人们无法偿还莱纳斯的损失，但希望倡行“以民为本”的首相纳吉，能聆听人们的反对声音。
他认为，莱纳斯在国庆日来临之前，有足够的时间撤离大马。
中国以外首间稀土提炼厂
莱纳斯是澳大利亚矿业巨头，它耗资2.3亿美元，在关丹建筑世界最大稀土冶炼厂，主要冶炼采自澳洲沙漠深处的稀土。马来西亚政府已经向莱纳斯提供12年的免税期。
稀土元素（Rare Earth），是一组包括17种元素的金属，它存在于比较稀少的矿物中，不溶于水，有“工业味精”之称，被公认为全球用途最广泛、最重要的金属元素。
由于制造高科技产品需要稀土作为原料，但是在提炼这种原料的过程中，据说将会产生有害的辐射废料。
目前，全球大约95%的稀土皆来自于中国。不过，由于最近北京限制稀土出口，引发全球稀土价格高涨，导致一些工业国急于寻找替代管道。
这也使到澳洲的莱纳斯公司赶建提炼厂，以满足大约三分之一的世界需求量。
幼儿园负责人率众反对
80年代的红泥山亚稀厂惨剧历历在目，关丹居民不得不成立“反对稀土救大马委员会”自救。严世鸿原是名幼儿园的负责人，他毅然选择放弃工作，全力领导居民展开反对稀土厂的抗争。
迄今，该委员会已在关丹进行了多场小型抗议示威活动，向州政府表达反稀土厂的立场。
彭州政府在所举办的两场汇报会上，成为出席者大力挞伐的对象，彭州大臣安南耶谷早前也在州议会上，严斥马华土满慕州议员彭子明在此课题上与反对党起舞，进而取消剩下的6场汇报会。
莱纳斯稀土厂订于今年9月开始试验操作。
Good to see the protest went well and I really hope the government sees it and cancels this whole Lynas palaver!
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