Pahang crown princess consort has questioned if the three-month moratorium on bauxite mining is enough, after mining operations enveloped the areas surrounding Kuantan in perpetual clouds of red dust.
“Alhamdulillah…but three months only?” Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah said on Instagram, while posting the frontpage of a newspaper reporting the moratorium announced yesterday.
She called the situation “pathetic”, having earlier acknowledged that the sand in front of her beach home was also tinged red when bauxite mining waste went into the waterways.
alhamdulillah... but 3 months only???
A photo posted by #airtangantengkupuanpahang (@tengku_puan_pahang) on
Her remarks came amid clamours for royal intervention in the matter.
“We need royals to interfere,” Instagram user @firdaus_norazmar said in response to the princess’ post.
Other users lament that the monarch no longer has overarching powers to direct the state government to stop such activities.
“Tuanku, can you do anything about this? We rakyat jelata have no say anymore,” Instagram user @mattmarzuki said.
Tunku Azizah is married to Pahang crown prince Tunku Abdullah Ahmad Shah.
A photo posted by #airtangantengkupuanpahang (@tengku_puan_pahang) on
Postings on the Facebook group Gerakan Hentikan Pencemaran Bauksit (Geram) are less hopeful about the royal family’s role in bauxite mining.
They allege that some mining occurs on land belonging to the royal family, and have even posted prayers calling for calamity to befall the sultan for participating in the mining.
The princess, who is also part of the group, last month responded to such posts, saying that she acknowledges the people’s laments.
There are multiple legal and illegal bauxite mines, some belonging to locals who turned instant millionaires after allowing miners to dig up their land.
The government yesterday announced a three-month moratorium on mining so infrastructure can be in place, to ensure sustainable mining.
This comes after tests found higher than standard metal content in the waterways, and sea water at Kuantan Port, where the bauxite is exported through, started to turn red.
According to metal market portal Asian Metal , Malaysia, which was relatively unknown in the bauxite industry, became China's top supplier, supplying 15.8 million tonnes in the first three quarters of 2014 – a growth of more than 1,100 percent year-on-year, outstripping major player Australia.
This was in large part contributed by Indonesia, which accounted for 20 percent of the world's supply but on Jan 12, 2014, banned bauxite exports to encourage the growth of the local aluminium industry.
Read Malaysiakini 's special reports on bauxite mining:
Part 1: Greed, gangs and violence in Kuantan's bauxite rush
Part 2: How the bauxite rush is taking a toll on Kuantan's future
Moratorium on bauxite mining timely, says NGO
Shahidan: Bauxite mining moratorium to stop people suffering
Bauxite blunder a repeat of our many mistakes
Subra wants bauxite mining scrapped if it still threatens health
Three-month moratorium pathetic, rues Pahang princess
MACC nabs Pahang land officers for accepting bribes over bauxite
Tengku Abdullah: Find holistic solution to Pahang bauxite mining
