Pahang landowners urge state government to expedite bauxite mining approval process

Landowners in Pahang have requested the state government to intervene in issuing bauxite mining approvals as the moratorium has been lifted now.

According to Sungai Lembing assemblyman, Datuk Md Sohaimi Mohamed Shah, landowners in the bauxite mining area are dissatisfied with the delay in issuing mining approval despite the lifting of the moratorium on March 31.

“There are more than 300 landowners in Felda Bukit Goh, Felda Bukit Kuantan and Bukit Goh Youth Land Scheme (RTP) who are said to have signed an agreement with mining operators, but the mining operators are unable to carry out mining operations because of the moratorium,” Shah said.

He also added that some of the landowners had taken deposit payments from the mining operators for their land. This makes them liable if mining activities cannot proceed.

“Even if the mining operations cannot proceed, the landowners will also not to able to use the land for other purposes, including agriculture activities,” he said at a briefing on the direction of bauxite mining in Felda Bukit Goh yesterday.

Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister of Malaysia, Dr Xavier Jayakumar reportedly said that bauxite mining and export activities in Pahang would be on halt despite the end of a moratorium on March 31.

“The Mineral and Geoscience Department will not approve the operational mining scheme (OMS) for any holder of the lease or mining licence until the OMS is fulfilled, in particular, approval of the mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA),” he had said.

He also added that bauxite mining in Malaysia would only start when the relevant parties would be ready to implement and enforce the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for mining and exporting of bauxite.  And all the procedures must follow environmental benchmarks.