The moratorium on the mining and export of bauxite from Pahang which ends on March 31 will not be extended, said Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar (picture) yesterday. Following the announcement, all activities on the mining and export of the mineral can be resumed, although this time with a new standard operating procedure (SOP), as well as tighter enforcement of the law.

“The moratorium will not be extended after March 31…I see that there is a strong demand for the bauxite industry in Pahang and the profit derived by the state is also enormous.

“In 2015 alone, the state government recorded a revenue of RM47 million from the payment of royalty, but the central government did not receive any portion of the profit, it just gave the approval for the import permit.

“In discussions with all the stakeholders previously, there was nothing stated that we had to stop the bauxite industry in Pahang, whether by local political leaders nor the state government as they all agreed that the industry has strong potentials and should be continued,” he said.

He said this to reporters after making a visit to the bauxite storage areas and Kuantan Port in Kuantan yesterday. — Bernama