PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry will monitor the public health aspect in Pahang following the Government’s decision not to extend the moratorium on the mining and export of bauxite which will end on March 31.
Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the ministry has been tasked to maintain the human and environmental health in the areas where bauxite activities would be carried out.
He confirmed the matter was raised in the Cabinet meeting today.
“Yes it was discussed. We shared our views with other ministries,“ he told a press conference today.
“We will monitor the air and water quality there. Also, we would study the statistics of certain health cases that may be related to bauxite. For instance, if there is a spike in respiratory tract infection in clinics there, we will check on it. What’s important is that we want to make sure the rakyat don’t suffer as a result of these activities.”
Dzulkefly was asked to comment on concerns raised by several quarters on the danger the bauxite activity would pose after Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar announced that the moratorium ending next month would not be extended.
Xavier had said that following this, all activities on the mining and export of the mineral can resume but there must be a new standard operating procedure as well as tighter enforcement of the law.
