Pahang’s rare earth reserves worth RM37.4bil, 70% inside forest areas

Pahang has 1.4 million tonnes of non-radioactive rare earth elements (NR-REE) valued at approximately RM37.4 billion, state exco Datuk Mohamad Nizar Najib revealed. About 70% of the deposits lie within permanent forest reserves, with the rest on state and private land. Speaking at the state assembly, he said the current market price for RE carbonate stands at RM26,549 per tonne.

rare earth reserves

The state has approved SOPs for NR-REE mining and tasked Pahang Mining Corporation with detailed reserve studies. Mohamad Nizar stressed focus on sustainable upstream mining to build investor confidence for future midstream/downstream processing hubs. While open to proposals from local and foreign firms, including Lynas, no decision has been made. Several proposals are undergoing evaluation.