KOTA BARU: The only company in Kelantan with an approved permit (AP) to export sand overseas was not issued any export licence to sell sand to India.
A state government spokesman said the company given the licence had obtained sand from the Kelantan river and could only export sand to selected countries as set by the state government.
The spokesman however, declined to list out the countries that have bought sand from Kelantan.
"After the state was hit by the big flood in 2014, the Kelantan river became shallow.
"As such, to overcome the problem and to prevent flooding in the future, the state government decided to call for tenders for a dredging operator to solve this issue," said the spokesman.
Although the company was given the AP, the spokesman said the relevant department especially the Land and Mines Office would monitor the company closely to ensure it adhered to all the regulations.
"The sand exported by this company not only helped deepen the river but it has helped the state government in terms of revenue," said the spokesman.
Apart from the company, the spokesman said the Kelantan government also issued permits to 72 other local companies to dredge sand from a few rivers in the state.
"These 72 companies are allowed to sell the sand to local suppliers but they must follow the condition set by the Land and Mines Office, such as the sand price," said the spokesman.
It was recently reported that an Indian company in Tamil Nadu was buying sand from Sitiawan, Perak.
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar refuted the claim, saying that only sand dredged from Sungai Pahang and Sungai Kelantan could be exported.
He said while the ban on sand export was still in effect, the ministry had issued special APs for sand to be dredged from the two rivers.
The state’s Public Works, Infrastructure, Utility and Information Technology Committee Chairman Datuk Hanifa Ahmad, when met at Kelantan Trade Centre this afternoon, refused to comment on the issue.
"Please contact the Land and Mines Office. I reserved my comment on this matter," he said.