Felda settlers apply to mine bauxite to guard their interest

Pahang: Some 263 residents and Felda Bukit Goh settlers submitted their application letters to the state government to seek approval for bauxite mining on their land.Bukit Goh Bauxite Problems Coordinating Committee chairman, Datuk Dr Abd Wahid Abd Manap, representing the settlers, handed over the application letters to Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob after the state assembly sitting at Wisma Sri Pahang, here, Wednesday.

Earlier, Abd Wahid said the applications were made to protect the interest of the Felda Bukit Goh settlers as some had been cheated by the contractors carrying out bauxite mining illegally on the settlers' land.

"Through these applications, the land owners and 33 contractors involved have agreed to whatever conditions in the regulations set by the state government for bauxite mining activities.

"These include safeguarding the interest of the villagers and no environmental destruction of the bauxite mining areas and their surroundings," he told reporters, here, Wednesday.

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Abd Wahid said currently, bauxite mining activities on land belonging to the 263 residents and settlers had been halted immediately and would resume after getting approval from the state government.

Adnan, after receiving the applications, said the state goverment would first study the applications and would take into consideration public interest and problems that would arise if the mining activities were to continue.

"The applications are not a problem, but we will seek approval from the Department of Environment and Felda before approving their applications," he said.

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Prior to this, about 200 Felda Bukit Goh settlers were feared to have been cheated by the contractors after being promised payments of between RM300,000 and RM800,000 for every four hectares of land containing bauxite.

However, from the number, only 10 settlers have received the payment, while the rest are still waiting for it from the contractors involved, who mostly have not received the licence to mine for bauxite from the state government. – Bernama

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