Rubin Balang
KOTA KINABALU (Nov 19): The procedures for obtaining approval for mining operations are very tedious, said Kemabong assemblyman Datuk Rubin Balang.
The Gagasan Rakyat Sabah vice president referred to a video published in Malaysiakini where he was recorded saying that it was difficult to obtain mining approvals even during Barisan Nasional or when Tan Sri Musa Aman was the Sabah Chief Minister.
“My first child (not Tenom Member of Parliament Riduan Balang) has a background and knowledge in mining, and I knew that he had made an application for mining during Musa’s administration.
“At that time, there was neither a committee nor a (state) department established, as there were no experienced officers.
“But when officers with better experience from working in the federal government were deployed back to Sabah, the state government under the leadership set up the said department,” he said in a statement.
Despite the establishment of the new state department, the Sabah Economic Development Corporation (SEDCO) chairman said the process for obtaining final approvals still takes many years and incurs high costs.
He explained that applicants would need to obtain a letter of intent from the Land and Surveys Department as mining involves natural resources. “After they agree, a payment of RM400,000 has to be made to the state government, followed by further checks to determine whether there are any minerals or not.
“The subsequent steps would then require further permissions from the Land and Surveys Department or the Forestry Department.
“For example, to inspect land spanning 2,000 acres, it is necessary to drill up to 100 metres using a special machine.
“However, that does not guarantee the volume and quality of the minerals being explored,” he said, adding that these processes could take years and cost millions of ringgit without any assurance of success.
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