KUANTAN: Barely a month ago, some 200 Felda Bukit Goh settlers, who had leased their lands for bauxite mining activities, were all smiles when Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar announced that the moratorium would end on March 31.
However, they are now upset and uncertain about their future, when Xavier announced last week that no mining is allowed in the state capital until the new standard operating procedures (SOP) are met.
Felda Bukit Goh Our Kids Felda (KAF) chairman Datuk Mohd Bakri Abdul Majid said the government should be "transparent and precise" about when the mining activities could officially resume.
He said the settlers had been kept waiting for years and many had lost their source of income (from sales oil palm fruits) after their lands were leased for mining activities.
“Some plots of land have been mined while in some areas, the oil palm trees have been cut down but mining works have yet to start. In some areas, the trees still remain but the settlers cannot do anything because they have a contract with the mining operators. How long more will the settlers have to wait?
“Lands once grown with oil palm trees have now turned into “padang jarak padang tekukur’ (wasteland). When the minister made the announcement last month, the settlers thought their prayers have been answered (moratorium lifted) but now they are clueless,” he told reporters when met at Felda Bukit Goh today.
Bakri said the Pahang State Development Corporation (PKNP), which was appointed as lead agency on issues relating to bauxite mining in May 2017, had done little to provide updates on the mining activities.
He said PKNP was supposed to meet and brief the settlers on bauxite mining activities, but until today, they had not done so or get the feedback from the ground.
“The Felda Bukit Goh Village Community Management Council (MPKK) is prepared to work with PKNP, but it seems like PKNP is not interested. So we hope Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail can intervene and meet with the settlers to help shed more light on the issue and find a solution,” he added.
Meanwhile, Felda Bukit Goh MPKK chief, Jefri Salim said he hoped the state and Federal government would look into the settlers plight and provide some good news after the bauxite mining SOP public hearing session on April 14.
“At least, fix a date (for mining activities to resume) so that the settlers will not be kept waiting. They have waited for three years and if this continues, they are going to suffer more.
“The settlers will not be able to earn anything unless the bauxite soil on their lands is cleared to enable them to replant oil palm trees. If nothing is done, then their lands will be left idle,” he said.
Meanwhile settler Nik Abdul Majid Nik Sin, 75, said most of the elderly residents in the settlement who leased their land for bauxite mining activities were now dependent on their children for financial support.
“The settlers do not have any income as they cannot work on the lands. There is no fruits to sell. The lands have been leased to the mining operators.
“I was informed that Felda is planning to conduct replanting exercise next year, but it has to be done simultaneously. Since some of the lands have been cleared for mining works, Felda will have to wait until the top soil is covered before they can start the replanting works. There might be delays,” he added.
It was reported that approval for mining activities could be given by year end, or early 2020, depending on the level of compliance of industry players.