FULL-SCALE mining for RM 1.25 trillion worth of precious metals and minerals may spell doom for Sarawak's ecosystem as such activities will ravage the environment beyond repair, Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) warned the Sarawak state government.
SAM ground coordinator for Sarawak, Jok Jau Evong, said large-scale mining activities for commercial profits are destructive to the ecosystem regardless of how advanced the expertise used.
He told The Vibes Sarawak is already experiencing serious environmental damage as can be seen by the increasing frequency of flash floods, river pollution, rise in temperature, siltation of river basins and land erosion plus the constant clearing of jungles for logging and plantations.
"The state government leaders may be very excited looking at the RM1.25 trillion in potential revenue from mining, but we, who are concerned about the environment and the lives of grassroot communities, look at this announcement with extreme concern.
"Experiences in Sarawak have shown that exploiting the land via extensive logging and plantations had already resulted in irreversible impact to our forests' ecosystem and the lives of the natives.
"The construction of the five mega-dams in Sarawak had also caused permanent negative impact to the health of the jungle and rivers," Jok said.
He said it was only last month that the state announced plans to turn 10 river basins into sites for cascading dams.
"These are really worrying news as far as the environment and welfare of the forest natives are concerned," he said.
Jok, who is himself a native of the remote Baram district in northern Sarawak, said the Gabungan Parti Sarawak state leaders must not be so carried away by their desire for commercial profits that they sacrifice the ecosystem in the process.
On June 18, it was announced that the Sarawak state government is planning to go big in mining the state's vast land after discovering some RM 1.25 trillion worth of gold, rare earth, bauxite and other precious metals.
The State Geological Department had recently concluded a survey covering 32 percent of the total 12.4 million hectares of land in Sarawak and found mega-bucks worth of minerals, Deputy premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan had said, adding that there is enormous potential for more discoveries.
The announcement on the plan for intensive mining of minerals in Sarawak came after another recent announcement that the state government was going to construct 10 more hydroelectric dams statewide.
It was reported the state government had drawn up plans to develop as many as 10 river basins statewide into sources of hydroelectric power.
Sarawak already has five huge dams – the Bakun Dam, Batang Ai Dam, Murum Dam, Baleh Dam and Bengoh Dam. – June 20, 2024.
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