Cyanide anger poisons VIP visit

RAUB: Local anger at the use of cyanide, a poison, at a gold mine near here boiled over at a press conference by Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Tan Sri Joseph Kurup yesterday.

Despite Kurup's repeated assurance that the use of cyanide would not harm the people and the environment, the residents were not satisfied and kept harassing him with questions.

"We deserve a healthy environment with clean air and water," shouted a resident seated at the main table with Kurup.

Bukit Koman Anti-Cyanide Committee secretary Mustapha Hussain told Kurup the residents were not against the gold-mining activity, but could not accept the use of cyanide to process the precious metal.

"The villagers are concerned about their health and the government must allay their fears by giving us all the relevant information," said Mustapha, a pensioner.

Committee chairman Wong Kin Hoong said the residents were frustrated that they were not allowed to visit the gold-mine at Bukit Koman or meet Kurup at the facility.

"If they really have nothing to hide, then they should not be afraid to let us in."

Kurup later told the press conference that the mining area was a high security area and the operator, Raub Australia Gold Mining Sdn Bhd, would not simply allow outsiders into its premises.

Even media representatives who were not in Kurup's entourage from Putrajaya were not allowed to enter the premises yesterday.

Kurup said the ministry and its agencies would hold more dialogues with the people to make them understand that mining would not pose any danger to them.

"I'm satisfied with the explanation given by the company and the briefing today was also attended by the people's representatives and ministry's officers."

Among those present were Minerals and Geoscience director-general Datuk Yunus Abd Razak, Department of Environment director-general Datuk Rosnani Ibarahim, Bakri member of parliament Er Teck Hwa and Tras state assemblyman Choong Siew Onn, both from DAP.

Yunus later told the residents that the agencies under the ministry were continuously monitoring the environmental quality in the mining area and would compare them with the data collected by the operator. He said the public could also get the relevant information from the agencies.

About 100 residents had staged a peaceful demonstration in Bukit Koman earlier and they later handed a memorandum to Kurup at the Raub rest house.

New Straits Times 2010/01/14