BAUXITE BAN EXTENDED TO JUNE 30
New rules to be included in latest extension order
THE moratorium on bauxite mining in Pahang, which was set to expire on Dec 31, has been extended for another six months until June 30, with some changes.
The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry said the cabinet made the decision after the announcement by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) that it would withdraw its seizure order on the bauxite stockpile in Pahang.
On Dec 21, MACC announced that it would withdraw its seizure order on the estimated 10 million tonnes of bauxite after the ministry and the Minerals and Geoscience Department (JMG), as well as the state government, agreed to introduce new rules to crack down on illegal bauxite mining, the ministry said in a statement yesterday.
It said the new rules would be implemented based on input from related agencies, including MACC, to improve monitoring of the clearance of bauxite for export.
This included checks on applications for approved permits for bauxite, including the location and amount of stockpile that would be exported based on approval by the state government and technical analysis by JMG, as well as amendments to the Mineral Development (Licensing) Regulations 2016 on the process of clearing bauxite for export.
The ministry said with the withdrawal order, it agreed to consider the application for the export of bauxite during the moratorium under certain conditions.
These included clearing the bauxite stockpile in Kuantan Port, Pahang, and Kemaman, Terengganu; the companies that had paid royalty to the state government but had not carried out any export; and, collecting stockpile at a proposed site for the state government’s new administrative centre in Kota SAS, subject to the state government’s approval. Bernama