The government’s decision to lift the moratorium on bauxite mining in Pahang has triggered a whirlwind of controversy. Kuantan residents and NGOs fear that resuming mining activities will lead to a repeat of environmental transgressions they endured before the moratorium was imposed in 2016. Even as Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar gives his assurance that future mining activities will be put under the microscope, his predecessor, Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, is casting doubt over whether operators are ready to abide by the new regulations.
OUTRAGED environmental groups have called on the government to abort its decision to lift the bauxite mining moratorium, calling the decision “a huge disappointment”.
They said the decision to allow bauxite mining to resume was “a slap in the face” of all those, especially residents, who had fought hard to put a stop to the activity, which had caused untold misery to everyone living here.
Association for the Protection of the Natural Heritage of Malaysia president Puan Sri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil called on Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar to pull the handbrakes on his plans to allow bauxite operations to resume in April and asked how such a decision had been made without consulting the people.
She rubbished Xavier’s statement that there would be new standard operating procedures (SOP) and tighter law enforcement, stating that “nobody follows such SOP in Malaysia while enforcement was non-existent”.
“So many people suffered from bauxite mining; people died from health complications, killed by lorries in accidents and children drowned in these mining pools left by operators.
“Authorities blamed illegal operators for it, but if they were doing their job, it should not have happened right under their noses.
“Before the moratorium was imposed, Kuantan looked like Mars.
“The people suffered badly and the situation started to improve... now you want to do this?
“Just stop… the minister does not live in Kuantan. He does not know anything,” she told the New Straits Times.
Kuantan member of parliament Fuziah Salleh expressed concern over the decision, saying that she feared it would lead to pollution issues cropping up again.
She highlighted the issue of enforcement as well, saying it was never the country’s strongest suit.
She added that bauxite mining was proven to cause massive environmental degradation, especially since the processing involved heavy metals, such as cadmium, arsenic and mercury, which were discarded into rivers.
“Rivers in Kuantan during the mining days in 2015 went from class 3 to class 5 as it was heavily polluted with the metals. It also led to land erosion,” she said.
In George Town, Sahabat Alam Malaysia, too, expressed shock about the government’s decision.
Its president, S.M. Mohamed Idris, said the moratorium on bauxite mining was imposed by former environment and natural resources Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar three years ago.
He said this was due to the severe environmental effects caused by the mining activities and run-offs from unsecured stockpiles that contaminated water sources, turning roads, rivers and coastal waters red, impacting local communities, including fishermen.
“Clearly, Xavier has disregarded environmental concerns and has not consulted the affected local communities or environmental groups on the matter, and has given in to the bauxite industry,” he said.
“We wonder if he has consulted the Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Ministry, which is the relevant authority on environmental matters.”
Idris urged Xavier not to lift the moratorium on bauxite mining as there was no justification to do so given the lack of clarity on the environmental measures and controls being taken to prevent contamination and pollution from recurring.
“Profits for the mining industry must not be put ahead of the environment and people’s health.
“The environmental costs must also be taken into account and we are upset that the minister has ignored this and has put the industry’s concerns ahead of public interest,” he added.
It was reported that the moratorium on the mining and export of bauxite from Pahang, which ends on March 31, would not be extended.
Following the announcement, all activities on the mining and export of the mineral could resume, although this time with new standard operating procedures (SOP), as well as tighter law enforcement.
Xavier had said this was because under the new SOP to be introduced soon, only bauxite that had been cleaned would be allowed for export to protect the environment.
He had said the new SOP was carefully prepared to incorporate four important aspects, namely bauxite extract management, transportation and enforcement, storage area and management at the ports and the export of bauxite.
Reports by T.N. ALAGESH, ROSLI ZAKARIA, TASNIM LOKMAN and HASHINI KAVISHTRI KANNAN