Lynas Rare Earth Plant Pollutes Sungai Balok: A Decade of Radioactive Waste, Heavy Metal Contamination, and Fishing Communities at Risk

The Sungai Balok, a river winding through the Gebeng Industrial Estate in Pahang and sustaining generations of fishing communities along the South China Sea coast, has been quietly bearing the burden of one of the world’s largest rare earth processing operations. A mounting body of regulatory findings, scientific data, and civil society investigations now paints a sobering picture: a decade of radioactive and heavy metal contamination, a staggering accumulation of toxic waste, and a fresh ten-year licence that risks extending the toll well into the next decade.