The Pahang government has decided to pull the plug on a royalty-link manganese mine near Tasik Chini in Pekan.
This follows Malaysiakini's report in June that the Pahang government had in 2018 granted a royalty-linked firm the mining lease in the environmentally sensitive area despite the state government's pledge to rehabilitate Tasik Chini.
The Pahang state executive councillor in charge of environment, Mohd Sharkar Shamsudin, confirmed the cancellation of the project, stating that it was part of the state government's commitment to restore the country's second-largest freshwater lake to its pristine condition.
As part of the rehabilitation effort, the Pahang government will also be expanding the Chini Forest Reserve.
However, the particular plot of land, identified as Lot 89798 in Mukim Penyor, where the cancelled mining project is located, won't be included in the forest reserve.
"The gazetting of Chini Forest Reserve has been approved by the Pahang state exco meeting on March 13, 2019, covering a land area of about 4,635.39 hectares (11,453.085 acres), under Section 7 of the National Forestry Act 1984.
"On top of this, the Pahang state exco on July 7, 2021, has approved additional land area to be gazetted as Chini Forest Reserve, increasing the size of the forest reserve to 6,502.8 hectares in total. This has been gazetted on July 21, 2021.
Regarding Lot 89798 in Mukim Penyor, it is not a part of the area that is gazetted as Chini Forest Reserve," the Pahang Forestry Department said in a statement to Malaysiakini.
Lot 89798 is located about 3km away from Tasik Chini, a Unesco Biosphere Reserve that has grappled with pollution from mining and logging in recent years.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) in 2009 declared the Tasik Chini area as one of its biosphere reserves but risked losing the status if it is not rehabilitated.
In July, Unesco, through its Media Services Unit, confirmed to Malaysiakini that Tasik Chini's status as a Biosphere Reserve was up for a periodic review, and the government will have slightly more than a year to act on recommendations to maintain its status.
They told Malaysiakini that a list of preliminary recommendations was shared with the relevant Malaysian authorities on May 18. Several requests have been made to Unesco for the list of recommendations, which the body promised to make public.
However, the Pahang government had made an exemption for the mining project. The EIA said the Pahang government "superseded the Rancangan Khas Tasik Chini and approved the project site for mining activities".
EIA report retracted
According to the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the mining project, which went on public display in April, it was supposed to cover a 40.51-hectare area - the size of around 60 football fields.
The land plot is part of a larger area categorised as 'Environmentally Sensitive Area Level 2', which can be developed with certain conditions but mining activities are not allowed.
The project concession was owned by Hanishah Ventures Sdn Bhd, which is a firm co-owned by Raja Shah Zurin Raja Aman Shah, an actor and cousin of Kelantan ruler Sultan Muhammad V.
The other co-owner listed was Tengku Hanizar Tengku Muhammad, who is the aunt of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who is also the Pahang ruler.
For the mining project, the document showed that Hanishah Ventures had engaged Golden Prosperous Resources, which is a big player in the mining industry, especially in Pahang, including in bauxite mining activities.
Malaysiakini learnt that the EIA report had also been retracted by the contractor sometime in the third quarter of this year.
According to the Environment Department's website that lists the status of EIA reports which it reviews, the 'Manganese and Other Minerals Mining Operation on Lot 89798' was listed as 'Jadual 2 - Batal' (Schedule 2 - Cancelled).
A spokesperson from the department told Malaysiakini that the report was withdrawn by Golden Prosperous Resources as it failed to fulfil a condition under Section 34a subsection 4(a) of the Environmental Quality Act.
"The EIA report that the company submitted was found to be not in line with the Local Plan and Special Area Plan for Tasik Chini," the spokesperson said in a text message when contacted for clarification on the project's EIA status.
'We are committed'
Meanwhile, Sharkar, when asked if Lot 89798 would have its status as an Environmentally Sensitive Area Level 2 reinstated, said he would need to check on it.
The Lanchang assemblyperson stressed that the Pahang state government is committed to protecting Tasik Chini and its surrounding area now, more than ever.
While the process of gazetting the Chini Forest Reserve is still ongoing, Sharkar said, the state administration would not allow any more damaging activity to take place, regardless.
"Like what the menteri besar said, we will not issue any more licences for mining in the Chini area. The state government is very serious about preserving Tasik Chini.
"Gazetting is easy, it just needs to be tabled in the state assembly. But what is more important is protecting the area. What we do is the most important.
"We are very sincere in doing this so that the Tasik Chini area can return to its pristine condition, to what it was before," Sharkar told Malaysiakini when contacted last week.
Replanting works are also underway at the Tasik Chini area to cover the forest area, which had been cleared for logging and mining.
In its series of reports on Tasik Chini, Malaysiakini has also highlighted the fact that the lake and its surrounding areas have yet to be officially gazetted as a forest reserve, despite the Pahang state executive council approving it more than two years ago.
The issue had attracted wide criticisms and also the attention of the Regent of Pahang Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Alam Shah, who wants a stop to the mining activities at Tasik Chini.
The regent also ordered the state government to step up efforts to identify other sources of revenue besides mining and logging.
In response to the latest development, the Pahang chapter of the Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) expressed its delight over the cancellation of mining projects in the Tasik Chini area.
"We are relieved and happy, of course," Pahang MNS chief Noor Jehan Abu Bakar said.
"It's a good sign for Chini," she added.
Tasik Chini is a rich bio-diversified lush tropical wilderness, home to hundreds of species of flora, non-aquatic life and freshwater fish. - Mkini
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