PUTRAJAYA, July 14 — The Ministry of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC) is developing a standard operating procedure (SOP) related to rare earth elements (REE) to ensure REE mining activities are carried out sustainably and to curb illegal mining activities.

Its minister, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the decision to develop the SOP was made during a National Mineral Council Meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof last May.

"We don’t want REE to be exported in a raw state and not get added value from it. This is because REE is in high demand worldwide, especially with the energy transition and so on,” he told a press conference on the Green Electricity Tariff (GET) here today.

He said this in response to the success of the Kedah police in uncovering human trafficking activities, as well as the theft of REE in Bukit Enggang, Sik, Kedah.

It was reported that nine individuals, comprising four Myanmar nationals and five locals were arrested last month, and various equipment suspected to be used for manual REE mining and four sacks containing REE weighing 99 kilogrammes were seized.

In another development, Nik Nazmi said the ministry will meet the relevant parties soon to resolve the declining water level of Sungai Muda in Kedah.

"We will look into the matter in a more holistic way,” he said, adding that the National Water Service Commission (SPAN) is also conducting an investigation into the matter.

Last July 10, SPAN chairman Charles Santiago was reported to have said that a failure in the automation system which caused the gates of barrage number 14 to open up to 47 per cent, was found to be one of the causes of the sudden drop in the water level of Sungai Muda from 1.8 metres to 0.67 metres within 11 hours. — Bernama