Radioactive exports rile Malaysians

Environment and human rights groups in Malaysia have asked the Federal Government to stop the export from Fremantle of hundreds of thousands of tonnes of low-level radioactive material.

More than 1000 people marched on the Australian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to protest at the proposed shipments to Malaysia and plans for a rare earths processing plant in its coastal Kuantan province.

The rare earths, which contain thorium and uranium, will be mined at Mt Weld, near Laverton, and transported to Fremantle for export to Malaysia to process, starting in September.

The minerals are for electronic devices, including computers.

Greens MLA Robin Chapple claims transporting the material is more dangerous than the proposed export of iron ore through Fremantle port, which the State Government rejected.

Clement Chin, from Kuantan Environmental Watch Group, which organised the march, said Malaysians did not want the material processed there nor the by-products being left in Malaysia.