KUALA LUMPUR – While Kg Felda Bukit Goh villagers are happy that bauxite mining may resume on their land, Socialist Party of Malaysia Environment and Climate Crisis Bureau national coordinator Sharan Raj urged the Pahang government to find sustainable ways to ensure income for the residents.
Sharan told The Vibes that Felda settlers are not against bauxite mining on their land as there are financial gains, but long-term damage must be considered.
“Bauxite mining involves dust, and when it is dug out and transported by lorries, it flies around causing the Martian atmosphere we saw some years back.”
He noted that during the Kuantan bauxite environmental crisis between 2015 and 2016, the number of registered cases for respiratory illness and poisoning in the city increased.
However, he said, upon the implementation of a moratorium, the numbers immediately declined.
“There is a strong correlation between the number of sick people and bauxite activity. The thing to consider is that the majority of people in Kuantan are not well off, and rely on the public healthcare system.
“So, if mining resumes and people fall sick, it could see the collapse of Kuantan’s healthcare system.”
On the best way to ensure a source of income for Kg Felda Bukit Goh villagers, Sharan pointed towards agricultural raw commodities.
He explained that even though market prices of crude palm oil and raw latex are high, these prices unfortunately do not benefit farmers.
“These farmers are not getting the real price for their labour. This is because farmers are required to sell their raw produce to middlemen.
“We need to dismantle the middlemen to allow farmers to get their fair share. That’s how you get rid of rural poverty without damaging their land.”
The environmentalist said mining may give village settlers immediate returns, but in the long run, it may also take away other sources of income through their land once finished.
If the land has been damaged too badly and can no longer be rehabilitated, the farmers will lose their source of income for the rest of their lives, he added.
“When the land is damaged, the subsequent generation will be unable to cultivate their land.”
Sharan slammed Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail for granting the mining concession.
The activist politician urged the Umno Supreme Council to keep Wan Rosdy in line.
“(The) Umno Supreme Council needs to put a leash on the menteri besar.”
The continuation of bauxite mining in Bukit Goh, Kuantan, is not the only controversy Wan Rosdy is currently involved in, as the state government is also embroiled in a conflict with durian farmers in Raub.
The incident saw 15,000 durian trees in Bukit Talam permanent forest reserve destroyed by the Pahang Forestry Department.
The decision to resume mining in Bukit Goh came to light after an environmental impact assessment report by KenEp Consultancy & Services Sdn Bhd was released.
The report revealed that the project was awarded to BG Mining Sdn Bhd, involving an area spanning 3,642ha.
The Vibes had on July 14 reported that Kg Felda Bukit Goh village head Jefri Salim believes that the resumption of this project will create a much-needed source of income for settlers.
He said 40% of the village’s 600 members own land in the mining area and expect a cut from the project proceeds. – The Vibes, July 19, 2021
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