'Stop Bukit Koman gold-mining ops'

Sahabat Alam Malaysia today urged the Pahang Mineral and Geoscience Department to withdraw a letter of authority to mine to Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn Bhd.

Its president SM Idris alleged that the company’s carbon-in-leach facility endangers those living in Bukit Koman New Village, Raub, as well as the environment, as there will be “rampant discharge of toxic materials”.

He also called on a ministerial steering committee to be set up by Natural Resources and Environment Minister Douglas Uggah Embas, Human Resources Minister S Subramaniam and Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai.

This should look into issues raised by the community, he said in a statement today.

Residents of Bukit Koman have been protesting against the mine operations since January 2007 and had resorted to legal action, although this failed.

Last month, a protest saw an 11-point demand being issued. At the top of the list was a call for a steering committee and working group to look into the residents’ grouses as well as pollution-related issues.

They have been complaining about the potential effects on their health due to the use of cyanide in the gold-mining operations.

The company was licensed to mine gold in August 2006. It started full operations using cyanide in February this year.

The villagers claimed that they have been afflicted by a range of ailments like skin irritation, headaches and breathing difficulties since then.