Saifuddin receives letter of demand from Sanusi on Kedah REE issue

PERMATANG PAUH - Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail says he has received letter of demand (LOD) from Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md. Nor on the alleged theft of rare earth elements (REE) in Kedah.

"Here, I want to inform that I received the LOD from caretaker Kedah Menteri Besar. I also answered the letter through my lawyer, and we will meet in court.

"However, I will not stop to reveal this issue," he told the media at the Santai Anak Muda Perpaduan programme at Taman Prominence, Bandar Perda, here.

The REE issue in Bukit Enggang, Sik, has become a hot issue following a probe initiated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which made headlines a couple of weeks ago.

"When there is an incident of REE theft in a forest reserve where no permit number is issued, it is difficult; of course we have to open investigation papers. "Until now, we can see that there are attempts by prominent people in Kedah to ensure that the Kedah land and minerals state director does not want to open an investigation paper," he added.

Sanusi became the epicentre of the investigation given his position in Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI), which essentially owned the mined lands in Bukit Enggang.

On Jan 10, Sanusi had urged the government to iron out the needed regulatory framework for rare-earth mining as the minerals had been stolen by those who had been under-declaring them as clay.

Rare-earth mining is currently a grey area in Malaysia given the lack of legislation and regulatory framework.