29 minutes
KUANTAN: The Bauxite Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Executive Review Committee will create a special online complaint site for the public to voice any concern arising from bauxite mining activities here, soon.
Its chairman Prof Datuk Dr Azizan Abu Samah said the website would be managed by the Water, Land and Natural Resources Ministry (KATS) and Pahang State Development Corporation (PKNP) to ensure that action would be taken on every report received.
“A monitoring committee comprising local representatives as well as relevant agencies will be established to act on the reports so that the issues could be resolved,“ he told reporters after a public hearing on the SOP at Dewan Jubli Perak Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah, here today.
The public hearing session was attended by over 500 people comprising academicians, bauxite mining operators and license holders, Felda Bukit Goh, Bukit Sagu and RTP Bukit Goh settlers.
Commenting on the public hearing, Azizan said he was satisfied with the various reactions and information received from the participants today.
On the SOP draft made earlier, he said it would be finalised at the end of this month as further improvements were needed before it could be posted on the KATS website.
“We will convene a meeting on April 19 and will take into account what members of the public have to say ... to me SOPs must be refined from time to time and cannot be static, if we do not want a recurrence of the situation.”
He said the 174-page SOP could only be implemented effectively if enforcements were properly and firmly carried out.
“Enforcement is indeed a problem not only for bauxite mining but also in other matters because of our set of values. If we comply with the prescribed rules, there will be no pollution problems that will affect the environment and such,” he added. — Bernama
