Kuala lumpur: A review panel under the National Mineral Council could be established to address the fragmented jurisdiction and inconsistent enforcement between federal and state authorities, hindering effective oversight of rare earth element (REE) projects. This initiative aims to streamline processes and address existing challenges in the governance of REE development.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia has outlined these policy recommendations in its latest policy brief titled “From Mine to Magnet”. The think tank suggests that the review panel be mandated to assess REE proposals at the pre-development stage, prior to the environmental impact assessment and operational mining scheme application processes. Additionally, the panel would be tasked with resolving disputes in policy implementation.

“For this review panel to work, we need to align federal and state-level bodies in terms of mineral projects, as well as their reviews. Key to mining is the ESG aspect,” ISIS analyst for economics, trade and regional integration Qarrem Kassim told Bernama. Qarrem is one of the three researchers who authored the policy brief, along with Zayana Zaikariah and Farhad Ijlal Nizam.

Qarrem emphasized the necessity for the mechanism to function as an integrated review panel, akin to Canada’s joint review panel for projects under both federal and provincial jurisdiction. He further recommended formalizing state-level participation in joint-enforcement task forces to enhance cooperation and enforcement.

Several states in Malaysia have shown strong interest in rare earth mining, primarily because the country is among the few globally with viable economic RE resources and substantial heavy RE potential. Qarrem highlighted the importance of heavy rare earths in meeting zero-carbon targets, stressing the need for effective state and federal coordination to address these issues comprehensively.