More thought needed

As the nation’s senior-most economic driver, the tin industry should steer clear of controversies

MALAYSIA was once the world’s biggest producer of tin. Tin mining began in the 1820s, and by the turn of the century, the country was already producing more than half the world’s tin. Soon, there was competition from South America, but Malaysia remained the world’s biggest producer till the 1980s, when tin prices plummeted. Slowly, tin mining companies began to shut down as profitability took a beating.

Today, very few companies are still operating. This, however, may see a change in the coming months — the nation’s senior-most economic driver is leaving the museum to start a new life cycle. Recently, the government announced a possible revival of the tin mining industry. Several areas had already been identified with huge deposits.

Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar said the price of tin was high and on an upswing; it could reach up to US$20,000 (RM82,954) per tonne. And, unlike its first cycle, the reborn tin mines shall lodge in a global setting.

As expected, the announcement did not go down well with environmentalists; they claimed it would cause major problems to the environment, both for the nation’s land and water resources. The previous government had been reluctant to pursue it because it was found that large tin deposits were likely to be found in “sensitive areas”, such as permanent forest reserves, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, river reserves and water catchment areas.

While the government must do what is necessary for the country to move forward and develop, such decisions cannot be made willy-nilly. More thought must be put into it.

The tin industry should steer clear of controversies. There cannot be a “the end justifies the means” scenario. Laws should be looked at, and rules and procedures on prospecting, mining and exploitation reviewed.

The latest in technology must also be employed to ensure that everything is done carefully and with the least impact to the environment. This is of the utmost priority — environmental impact assessments need to be conducted.

An article that appeared in Institution of Engineers Malaysia’s Bulletin Jurutera a few years ago said the viability of a tin mine depended not only on its reserves and effective mining methods but also on the demand for tin and the value of the ringgit. One of the reasons Europe chose to boycott palm oil is the supposed threat to the orang utan and its natural habitat. Would tin products go down the same path, if environmentalists take a similar stand?

The industry needs to be regulated if tin mining is revived. All that glitters is not gold; similarly, all that shines may not be tin. Indeed, it is why every step of the process must be monitored to ensure the tin ore is viable enough to be mined, and at the same time preserving the environment.

While the government must do what is necessary for the country to move forward and develop, such decisions cannot be made willy-nilly.