KUANTAN – Pahang authorities have issued a stop-work order to the mining company in Tasik Chini, Pekan, earlier than the lease licence expiry date, said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail.
He added the move was taken so that efforts to restore Tasik Chini could be carried out as soon as possible as the mining licence should have expired this month.
“I just inspected the progress of rehabilitation efforts, and Alhamdulillah, everything is progressing on schedule in terms of replanting and construction of the wall, which is at 75%.
“The involvement of the Orang Asli community in building nurseries as part of this rehabilitation effort is also appropriate,” he told reporters after Foodlawn.Kome@Tg Lumpur foundation-laying ceremony here today.
Wan Rosdy said he will continue to monitor the conservation works of Malaysia’s second-largest natural lake, which are being carried out by various state government departments and agencies, including Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Before this, the Pahang Land and Mines Office announced that no new mining licences were issued after an area of 4,600ha in Tasik Chini was gazetted as Chini Forest Reserve on March 13, 2019.
However, 14 licences had been issued before the gazette, and out of that number, only two are still operating. One licence expired in June, while the other one expires at the end of this year.
In a related development, Wan Rosdy said the establishment of an elite team in the Pahang Enforcement Unit has helped combat illegal land exploration and mining activities that have been detrimental to the state government.
Commenting on the Foodlawn.Kome@Tg Lumpur, Wan Rosdy said it is a centralised business concept aimed at guiding and producing young entrepreneurs.
Kuantan was chosen as the pilot project location with an allocation of RM2.8 million, before the project expanded to Maran, Lipis, Temerloh and Rompin, to provide a platform for those seeking business opportunities. – Bernama, December 3, 2021
