One environmentalist warned that any move to restart the tin industry would come at a high price.
“We will see more ‘teh tarik’ rivers, whether it rains or not, if tin mining activities start again,” environmentalist Maketab Mohamad told FMT.
The former head of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment Unit added that under laws governing mining, the limits for total suspended solids are higher than those under the Environmental Quality Act.
Total suspended solids refers to any solid particle which is not dissolved in water and can be trapped in a filter.
This can include anything from soil to decaying plants or carcasses.
The plan to revive tin mining was announced by Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar, who cited large deposits of tin after more than four decades of the mining industry’s decline.
He said the high price of tin today, which could reach up to US$20,000 per tonne, would be a good source of revenue.
The plan, said Xavier, has received the green light from the Cabinet, and his ministry has already identified areas with huge tin deposits.
Malaysia was once the largest tin producer in the world, but the industry began to decline by the early 80s due to falling prices as well as competition from South America. Currently, only one company is believed to be involved in large-scale tin mining in Perak, which once had the greatest concentration of the mineral.
Environmentalist Andrew Sebastian was shocked by the plan to revive the industry, saying tin mining is known for its disastrous impact on the environment.
“Can’t his ministry think of other ways to generate revenue than this?” he asked.
He cited a 2012 study of former tin mining areas in Bestari Jaya (formerly Batang Berjuntai) in Selangor.
He said it was found that mining activities there had polluted the water catchment area.
“The nearby Ayer Hitam river is a receiver of this highly polluted catchment water,” he told FMT, urging the government to promote eco-tourism instead as it is more sustainable.
The former minister in charge of natural resources meanwhile warned Putrajaya that the large deposits of tin it is aiming at are today found in urban areas as well as forest reserves.
Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar also echoed concerns over the harm to water catchement areas.
“While we may be able to revive the industry, the cost as a whole to the nation is going to be much higher.
“In the end, a few industry players get rich at the expense of the government and the environment,” said the Sarawak politician who is also the MP for Santubong.
He said there was little detail on tin reserves, including on quality and quantity.
He said a more thorough study should be done before any move to revert to tin mining as a source of revenue.
“The government should study mining laws, rules, and procedures.”
He said the Environmental Protection Act and a new Environmental Impact Assessment system he once proposed would be able to monitor the mining industry.
He also said the proposed Environmental Protection Act, to replace the Environmental Quality Act 1974, would give more clout to the Department of Environment to take action to protect the environment.