Researchers to study viability of setting up gold mining museum, park in Bau
KUCHING: The state government had set up a team of researchers to conduct viability study over the establishment of a gold mining museum and park in Bau, said Tasik Biru assemblyman Datuk Henry Harry Jinep.
Adding on, he said the state government had approved an allocation of RM1.5 million for the study, which should conclude by February next year.
“Upon the completion of this study, the state government would go through the research papers.
“Whether (or not) it is worth building this gold mining museum in Bau, it would depend on the report,” the assemblyman said this at a press conference called after the closing ceremony of the ‘200 Years of Gold Mining History in Bau’ symposium here yesterday.
According to Henry, there are mining leases that are still active – some with validity period until 2033 – although large-scale gold mining is no longer in operation in the area.
“You see – there are a lot of mining leases in Bau, and it is up to the companies possessing these leases on where they want to start operating their mines.
“We consider the (gold) mining is there, they can start anytime. We’d never know – the gold price can shoot up any time. On whether they (companies) can proceed with gold mining, they have to go through the process.
“For now, we want to remember the 200 years (of gold mining). This is something that we cannot do the second time – you miss this one, you cannot do it anymore,” he said, adding that gold mining activities in Bau kicked off in the 1820s, which attracted the Chinese and British miners.