Balambangan mining project won't affect coral reef, archaeological treasures: Yayasan Sabah

The planned silica sand mining project on Balambangan Island in Sabah will not adversely affect the area which has precious historical, archaeological and cultural values, according to Yayasan Sabah (YS).

In a statement today, its director Jamalul Kiram Mohd Zakaria said that the foundation was also complying with all requirements set by the Environment Protection Department (EPD) and would not be conducting any blasting activity under the project.

In regards to piling works that was conducted on the island recently, he said that it was only for a test pile and the activity had since been stopped on Aug 27.

"YS has secured an extraction license (Jadual B) from the Land and Survey Department. Approval has also been secured from Sabah Parks for entering the Taman Tun Mustapha Marine Park. Nevertheless, all requirements by the EPD will be complied with before extraction works commence.

"On the same note, the project is situated on land owned by Yayasan Sabah. The precious historical, archaeological and cultural values area is located on the southern part of the island," Jamalul Kiram said.

The statement was issued in response to a story published by Malaysiakini yesterday which highlighted concerns raised by a coalition of environmental groups over the silica sand mining project on Balambangan Island.

The group called 3H Coalition comprises the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre (BSBCC), Borneo Futures, Danau Girang Field Centre (DGFC), Forever Sabah, Land Empowerment Animals People (Leap), Pacos Trust and WWF-Malaysia.

They had written a letter to the Environment Protection Department last week saying that piling work had begun and structures have been put up in the peninsula of the island, deemed "very important in geoheritage conservation".

According to the coalition, besides biodiversity, the island is also the site of World War II artefacts including unexploded bombs, presenting a risk for mine workers.

The project is a joint venture between Yayasan Sabah and Aura Avenue Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the Sarawak conglomerate, KTS Group.

Jamalul Kiram also said that they have appointed an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) consultant in February to conduct a study on the planned silica sand mining project on the island but this was delayed due to the movement control order imposed by the government to curb the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The TOR (terms of reference) was submitted to the director of EPD on Sept 2. We are anticipating a favourable reply from them soon. We must stress here that the piling work was just for the test pile only and has stopped since Aug 27."

According to the director, the project would also not affect the coral reef in the area as extraction activities would only be carried out on land.

"Knowing the risks involved for the miners engaged in the work involved, safety measures would be our utmost priority. Safety measures will be observed based on occupational safety and health requirements before mining commences.

"With regards to blasting, there will not be any blasting activity involved with the project. The coral reef will not be affected as extraction will be conducted on land areas," he said. - Mkini