Indonesian tycoon started rare earths mining company the same day Anwar was named PM, Sanusi says

Indonesian tycoon Mohammad Riza Chalid reportedly established the Triple Golden Innovation company for the mining of rare earth elements (REE) in Kedah, Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said at a ceramah event.

Sanusi said that the company was registered on Nov 23, 2022, the same day Anwar Ibrahim was named the 10th prime minister.

Istana Negara had announced Anwar's appointment after several days of deliberation, with the Pakatan Harapan chairman taking oath a day later, on Nov 24.

He said the company, where Riza serves as director, was incorporated under the Companies Act 2016 and is located on Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah.

"They came to request REE; why deny it? When Anwar Ibrahim and Saifuddin Nasution Ismail start digging, people will dig, too," he said, referring to the prime minister and the home minister's denials on Riza's involvement in obtaining the REE.

Anwar had accompanied Riza to meet the Sultan of Kedah on Oct 2, when he was still the Port Dickson MP.

Sanusi, the Perikatan Nasional election director, claimed that Riza aimed to secure a mining permit for REE in the state and that Anwar had acted as a "broker" for the controversial tycoon.

Anwar has denied the allegation, saying that his meeting with the Kedah sultan had nothing to do with REE.

Saifuddin had raised the REE matter during a state election campaign in Kedah, linking Sanusi with a Chinese national, So Lai Fat.

Sanusi said that exploration of REE has become a competition between China and the US, two major global powers.

"An economic war is now taking place due to the competition for economic resources. We don't want to get caught in the middle of this.

"We want to choose a strong government that can say 'no' to anyone making decisions that aren't beneficial to us," he added.