OCTOBER 13 — Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are a group of 17 metallic elements which are found beneath the Earth’s surface in the Earth’s crust.
Accordingly, RREs constitute “land”. By definition, the word includes, among others, “the earth below the surface and all substances therein”. (See Section 3 of the National Land Code)
Land, in turn, is a state matter. (See Item 2 of the State List of the Ninth Schedule of the Federal Constitution).
More than a year ago in August, then Acting Minister of Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability (NRES) Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani had explained that his ministry had no plans to establish a centralised body to regulate Malaysia’s REE industry.
