Perak refutes claims lanthanide mining in progress at Gerik

IPOH: Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad has refuted claims that a lanthanide mining operation has begun at Gerik.

He said the satellite images claiming work was in progress at the site were that of an old structure during preliminary work to identify the presence of the rare earth metal there.

"These are old images before I took over. The former Menteri Besar during the previous government had announced the discovery of the metal.

"Excavation work had started on a small scale on the land belonging to the Perak State Agricultural Development Corporation (SADC) but when I visited the location during the MESRA programme in Gerik, it was found that the land had been excavated and was full of holes.

"We had instructed the workers to stop work as no permit has been issued yet," he told reporters when met by reporters after officiating the state-level National Cooperative Day here today.

Saarani was commenting on the satellite images claiming that mining had begun at a site in Hulu Perak near Gerik though approval has yet been granted for the rare earth mining project, as reported by a local portal.

-- BERNAMA