Lynas Will Not Have Negative Impact On MCKIP

By Massita Ahmad and Zarul Effendi Razali KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 (Bernama) -- The controversial Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP), will not have a negative impact on the Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park (MCKIP), says the East Coast Economic Region's (ECER) Chief Executive Officer, Jebasingam Issace John. "Lynas is a good idea, a good project. We don't want to have a negative impression of it right from the beginning," he told Bernama. He also said that the government is working to resolve issues surrounding Lynas. He said this in response to whether the RM1.5 billion rare earth refinery located at the Gebeng Industrial Estate, would have a negative impact on the MCKIP. The LAMP is located close to the proposed 607-hectare MCKIP which is also sited at Gebeng town in Kuantan, Pahang state and within the ECER. Jebasingam said the MCKIP, which is expected to take off within the next six months, will enhance bilateral trade between Malaysia and China. The key components of the MCKIP include plastic, metal, electric and electronics, consumer products and renewable energy he added. "Malaysian businesses and businessmen from the area will be able now to enter into joint ventures with Chinese partners to develop these industries," he said. Malaysian Prime Minister Mohd Najib Razak had announced last Sunday that Kuantan has been identified as a suitable location to house a sister industrial park between China and Malaysia. He said the move was to reciprocate China's efforts to set aside a 55 sq km piece of land in Qinzhou, Nanning, as the Qinzhou Industrial Park, as a joint venture project with Malaysia. In announcing it, Najib said the government was carrying out detailed studies on the implementation of MCKIP and has had meetings with investors from China on it. "Give us a little bit more time to finalise it and if eventually realised, we will see a higher level of investments, especially in Kuantan," he added. -- BERNAMA