The rise in environmental activism in Malaysia is making the government nervous that foreign investors will be scared off. Protests against industrial projects perceived by the public as ‘dirty’ - such as the rare earth refinery from Australian mining firm Lynas - have added a new element of risk for investors, say experts. The Lynas refinery has been granted a temporary operating license but operations are on hold until the courts deal with appeals from green groups that have rallied ten of thousands of supporters.
Analysts have said that the green activism indicates a well-informed and maturing population. But members of the government have blamed political opponents of using green groups such as Save Malaysia Stop Lynas and Himpunan Hijau to undermine the popularity of the current government ahead of elections.
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