IPOH, Dec. 3 -- Perak will not be affected by the federal government's short-term suspension on the export of raw rare earth elements (REE).

Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the state continues to operate under a special approval granted for its pilot project in Gerik.

"It is a federal policy that raw materials (REE) cannot be exported. The only exception is Perak, because we are still in the pilot project phase.

"We were given special permission to export. Otherwise, the material that has already been extracted would go to waste," he told a press conference after attending Progam Aspirasi Geospatial at Meru Casuarina Hotel here.

He explained that the approval is granted periodically and remains valid until the fede...