Three-month moratorium on bauxite mining in Pahang - Wan Junaidi

He said the decision was made at the Cabinet meeting today which outlined a few steps to be taken by the industry within the three months to resolve the pollution problem due to the mining activities.

Among the steps are the clearing of bauxite stockpiles, setting up of an integrated storage area and bauxite waste treatment system.

"Starting Jan 15, everything will stand still in Kuantan. No movement at all because we want the 11 stockpile holders to do mitigation in each stockpile and there must be washing bays. Likewise near the port, all stockpiles must be cleared because we do not want any dumping there that will flow into the sea.

"All the stockpiles will be moved to a place called the central stockpile. Only one stockpile centre will be built with drainage and filtration systems and washing bay," he told a special press conference on Pahang bauxite operations, here, today.

Wan Junaidi said the moratorium period would be extended if the industry failed to implement all the steps outlined.

"During the moratorium period, the government will carry out integrated enforcement to ensure compliance. It will involve federal and state agencies," he said.

In order to curb pollution due to bauxite mining, the government had also frozen issuance of the Approved Permit (AP) for mining, since last week.

Wan Junaidi said new APs would be issued after the three-month period had been completed and that the miners who did not comply with the guidelines were at risk of their APs not being renewed to continue the mining activities.

On the "red sea" incident in Balok river and Batu Hitam beach, Wan Junaidi said it was caused by the flow of bauxite waste from the port.

"As a proactive measure, the Department of Environment has set up six ad-hoc stations to monitor the water quality in the area affected by bauxite mining in the Riau, Mabok and Pinang rivers which showed that the quality was at class III of the National Water Quality Standard (NWQS), not yet reaching the dangerous level.

"The results of the latest sampling made on Dec 30 will only be known in three weeks," Wan Junaidi said.

Meanwhile, Pahang Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob who was also present at the press conference, said there were 22 valid AP holders to run bauxite mining activities while the number of illegal miners could not be identified.

On the public's concerns about the contamination, he advised the residents of the affected areas to remain calm as the state and federal governments were undertaking measures to curb the problem.

"We are not in denial syndrome and we are not playing the blame game. We are doing the very best to make sure that the welfare of the people, at all times must supersede any other benefits including monetary benefits," he said.

Adnan said more stringent prevention mechanisms must be implemented to address the issue of illegal mining in the area.

"We can implement National Security Council (MKN) operations just like in Cameron Highlands to overcome the illegal cultivation issue which has been a success," he said.