Hamzah proposes national rare earth body modelled on PETRONAS
The opposition leader also called for a nuclear power roadmap, including a legal framework and an independent regulator.
Opposition leader Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin has proposed creating a national entity called RINAS to develop Malaysia’s rare earth resources, using Petroliam Nasional Bhd (PETRONAS) as a model. During the Dewan Rakyat debate on Budget 2027, he said the country needed revenue sources beyond petroleum.
Hamzah said the government had acknowledged that non-radioactive rare earth resources in Malaysia could be worth more than RM800 billion. He argued that the country was not moving quickly enough to develop the deposits, which are concentrated in Terengganu, Kelantan, Kedah and Perlis.
He urged the federal government to examine ways to develop those resources and distribute the benefits fairly among Malaysians. His proposal accompanied a call to give greater priority to domestic resource development and economic value creation, alongside spending allocations and fiscal deficit management.
On nuclear power, Hamzah sought a roadmap with deadlines for decisions, supported by legislation, an independent regulator and plans for reactor development within national energy planning. He argued that nuclear generation would help safeguard future electricity supplies.
Although MyPOWER had been appointed to coordinate the programme, Hamzah said the government had not chosen a technology or fixed a date for a decision. MyPOWER became Malaysia’s Nuclear Energy Programme Implementing Organisation in November 2024, with responsibility for coordinating preparations while the country assesses nuclear electricity generation.
