International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed sidestepped questions on Putrajaya’s involvement in the controversial rare earth project in Kuantan, and did not want the issue politicised.

“Don’t be emotional, politicise and pre-judge,” he told a press conference here and remained evasive when asked to comment on the storage of toxic waste.

Rare earth processing produces copious amount of thorium, a radioactive property, and questions had been raised as to where the waste would be dumped.

Australian mining company Lynas in a statement issued on May 21 claimed that it had provided funds to Putrajaya for the “safe management” of rare earth residues.

However, Mustapa said he had no information on the matter.

The minister also urged critics to air their opposition through the “proper channel” via official government websites.

The project in Gebeng, Pahang, which was estimated to generate RM8 billion in the first few years of operation, sparked an uproar among residents and environmentalists who feared it could be a repeat of the radiation disaster in Bukit Merah, Perak, in 1987.

The Bukit Merah disaster was linked to eight cases of leukaemia, with seven resulting in death. The plant was closed down following public anger, but the refinery was still undergoing a cleaning-up process costing RM300 million.

Public pressure forced the government to halt all construction work on the Lynas plant, pending a review from an “independent panel of experts”.

Observers said the government initiative to set up the panel was clearly aimed at convincing the public of the plant’s safety instead of finding facts.