Bauxite mining: Don't interfere with MACC probe - Pahang MB

Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob has urged all parties not to interfere with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission's (MACC) probe into the bauxite mining issue in the state.

He said MACC's handling of the matter should not be questioned, and even the state government would not interfere with the investigations, as it wanted it to be done in a transparent manner.

Adnan said the state government should also be given some space to solve the problems related to bauxite mining, as it also involved enforcement agencies under the purview of the federal government.

"The agency (concerned) under the state government is the Department of Land and Mines. The problem has occurred due to weak enforcement.

"That's why we have agreed to receive help from the Federal Government, as the ports, the Department of Minerals and Geoscience, the Road Transport Department, the Land Public Transport Commission, police and Customs are under the Federal Government," he said at a press conference here, today.

The state government has also agreed with the federal government's decision to impose a moratorium period of three months on bauxite mining activities from Jan 15, to reduce pollution and to find a better long-term solution.

Adnan also requested the media not to spread inaccurate statements pertaining to the bauxite issue, as he would be issuing a full statement on the role of the menteri besar and the department involved in the issue soon.

"I do not want to play the blaming game, but I see that when I am silent, there is more unfair reporting. For the moment I will observe the media reports, including on social media, before issuing a response to the issues raised," he said.

During the press conference, Adnan also denied claims by Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia (Peka) that the alleged logging activities at Lentang forest reserve had caused mudslides to occur at KM52.4 of the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Highway on Nov 11, 2015.

He said that the area of concern brought up by Peka president Puan Sri Shariffa Sabrina Syed Akil was the construction site of a Mini Hydro project awarded to PASDEC Holdings Bhd, which had applied to cut down the trees on Jan 4, 2013, in order to fix a water pipeline from Sungai Tanglir to Sungai Benus.

"The project area for which the licence was issued is not related to the mudslide zone," he said.