KUALA KANGSAR: The Perak government says that a rare earth project identified as lintonite in Hulu Perak is expected to boost its revenue.

       Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad (pic) said the state government had received approval from the Environment Department (DOE), through an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report last week, to implement the pilot project.

       "We have agreed to carry out the pilot project on land owned by the Perak State Agriculture Development Corporation (SADC) in Hulu Perak.

       "We have already gone through all the processes including getting the EIA approval but now it is up to the company that has been entrusted with the project.

       "It will determine or confirm whether it is radioactive or not. If not, we will get a new source of lintonite," he said after visiting SK Jeliang here Monday (May 23).

       Saarani said the new resource is expected to be better than tin ore and could be used in technologies such as mobile phones, watches and electrical goods.

       Meanwhile, Saarani said the school needed a new building to replace the old one built in 1954, which has sustained damage throughout the years, adding that the Public Works Department has also confirmed that the building was unsafe.

       He said an allocation of RM1.5mil was needed to build a two-storey building which would consist of a hall, classrooms and an office. - Bernama