Recently the emerging of Cyanide in Bukit Koman Raub

Background

Raub

is a town full of peacefully wealthy. Due to recently the emerging of

Cyanide, the valley is deeply submerged into terrifying. Raub is place

we live and growth up, our properties and home are all here in this

little valley. There is no reason to move to other places. Mining

processing facilities only two kilometers away from residential area,

only across the street to be exact, why is the Pahang Mineral and

Geoscience Department still approved the application to use this lethal

chemical, Cyanide, to extract the gold?

Bukit Koman, a small and old village, born from the soil of gold mining,

located inside Raub county, approximately contains four hundred

families, totaling residents around three thousands. It is located

right in the gold mining area, is indeed a ‘gold plated’ village.

The mining activity started on year 1898, but ceased on year 1963. During

this time, the mining was fully controlled by Australian. During year

1970, thousands of hectares of mining land had transferred under the

group of (gan mun wah). After he bought the land, occupied the most of

it with palm oil but reserved two sectors totaling 600 hectares of the

land. During year 1980’s, (gan mun wah) rent the reserved mining land

to Chinese gold miner to mine the gold via gravity separation approach.

During year 1990, the company taken the land back, but founded company

to mine the gold by themselves.

Son of (gmw), Andrew Kam, created

Peninsular Gold Limited company, which is listed in London Exchange,

and wholly own Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn. Bhd., fully responsible

in the mining activity. The other shareholders including Pahang royal

Princess, Tengku Puteri Seri Lela Manja and her ex-husband Mohd Moiz.

Pahang Development Board (Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Pahang) is their

partners.

Chronologically events

21st August 2006		Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn. Bhd. successfully obtained approval from Pahang Mineral and Geoscience Department to use Cyanide in the mining area inside Bukit Koman.
4th December 2006		After the villages got to know the lethalness and impact of the Cyanide, the villages formed Objection of Cyanide use in Gold Mining in Bukit Koman Committee, aggressively sending the SOS signal to all people for help, gathering help to start the bitter war with Cyanide to save the villages. At the same time, petition is also started and 10 thousands signatures are actually collected with the petition.
2nd March 2007		Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob officiate the break soil ceremony of the Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn. Bhd. Carbon-In Leach factory. VIP of the event including Pahang Princess ex-husband Mohd. Moiz and Raub Parliament YB Dato Dr. Ng Yen Yen.
May 2007		The committee submitted letter to Prime Minister YAB Dato Abdullah Badawi, Minister of Ministry of Energy, Water and Communication YB Dato Lim Kim Aik and President of MCA, YB Dato Wong Ka Ting and request for attention in this matter, meet the committee for further discussion as well as presenting the memorandum including the signed petition of 10 thousands signatures. The memorandum also submitted to Raub Parliament YB Dato Dr Ng Yan Yan, Pahang MCA State Chief, YB Dato Chan Kong Choy,Chief of MCA Youth cum Bentong Parliament YB Dato Leow Chong Lai. But no respond was obtained.
July 2007		Committee meet with President of Friends of the Earth Malaysia, Meena Raman in Penang for legal assistant
21st March 2008		Committee file a law suit with high court of Kuala Lumpur, requesting the court revert the approval of Pahang Mineral and Geoscience Department to Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn. Bhd. to use Cyanide in the process of mining of gold in Bukit Koman. Malaysia Ministry of Environmental has been named first defendant and Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn. Bhd. as second defendant.
February 2009		RaubAustralian Gold Mining Sdn. Bhd. started the mining process with Cyanide. Residents started to notice sting smell. Since then, many residents started to experience insomnia, vomiting, dizziness and other abnormal symptoms. The total number of report of abnormal symptoms has more than 200 cases.
8th March 2009		Hundreds of villages attended the Anti Cyanide Gathering and put up banner to reflect their determination to say NO to Cyanide. Some of the villages opt to migrate away from Bukit Koman to stay away from this lethal village.
23rd March 2009		Pahang Exco Dato Ho Kee Mum published the report after cursory investigation by department of environment, saying there is no smell of Cyanide is detected.
25th March 2009		Committee and ADUN Raub, Mr. Chong Shao Aun report the event to Anti Corruption, requesting to interfere with the process of gold mining using Cyanide of the mining company.

Villages of Bukit Koman choose to go for peaceful demonstration; due to their

body has triggered the alarm of poisoning of Cyanide. Otherwise, there

would not be more than 200 cases of abnormal symptoms. Villages really

has no confidence in mining company and their promises that their

operations would not pollute the environment as well as the water

resources when the company clearly even cannot control the abnormal

smell emitted from the mining processing facilities.

The mining company uses the Cyanide to mine the gold but cannot give any

assurance to the villages has been unfair to the resident not only in

Bukit Koman, but whole Raub even other adjunctive districts such as

Lipis etc. IF, the Cyanide is leaked to the water resources, similar as

the smell has leaked to the open air, then only after this the

government put a stop in using the Cyanide, would that be a reasonable

trade off or exchange or price to pay? The consequence will be everyone

nightmare when the impact of Cyanide pollution will produce monstrosity

children for the coming generations! Until then, everything would be

too late.

What the villages want is a reasonable solution. The highest priority is to

stop the Cyanide mining process similar to suicide slowly. No lip

promises but black and white promises. Only the Cyanide mining process

is stopped and leaves Bukit Koman forever, is the final answer that

villages is expecting.

Unfortunately,

that sincerity has not been seen from the government. How many more

demonstration would require in order to see more positive responses?

Posted by

snowpear

Care of Human Life , Say No To Cyanide