IT has been exactly two years yesterday since the government implemented a bauxite mining moratorium in Pahang following reports of severe environmental damage.
The move has left settlers with mixed feelings.
While some have made their first million, there are those who regretted adopting a wait-and-see attitude before allowing their land to be dug up.
While the majority of settlers from Tanah Rancangan Pemuda (RTP) Bukit Goh, who earlier leased their land to others for bauxite mining, have started replanting oil palm, settlers in Felda Bukit Goh and Bukit Sagu are at their wit’s end to restore their land for planting.
Felda Bukit Goh settler A. Bakar Mat @ Awang, 70, said despite allowing his land to be mined only in the later stages, he earned more than RM300,000, which helped him send seven of his children to perform their umrah.
The father of nine described the payment as lucrative.
He said no one expected the moratorium to be implemented, which abruptly brought their joy to an end.
“Contractors had begun to mine bauxite in 2014.
“I was among those who joined late in 2015 after hearing people making close to a million ringgit within several months.
“I signed a one-year contract to lease the land, but sadly, less than six months later, the government imposed the moratorium.
“The land had been mined halfway before the contractor just left.
“Until today, the red earth has been left untouched.
“It will be costly to hire excavators to clear the top soil and refill the earth,” he said at his house here yesterday.
“Two years ago, one tonne of bauxite soil fetched RM16, but now it is less than RM6,” he said.
Wan Mahadi Wan Yahaya, 45, who earned RM1 million from leasing the land out, said he had ventured into livestock and vegetable farming.
The father of five from RTP Bukit Goh said instead of replanting oil palm, he decided to plant bananas and coconuts.
He also rears goats and cattle at his 2ha smallholding.
“The soil here is suitable for agricultural activities and the plants are growing well.
“I am not sure about other areas, but I am grateful that my plot is still my main source of income.
“The contractor who worked on my land completed his work before the moratorium, and I received the payments as promised in the contract.
“Although I no longer plant oil palm here, but at least the move has given me ideas on how to diversify my crops.”
Rohayah Ismail, 62, said bauxite mining had changed the landscape of the area and the short-term windfall had brought mixed results.
“Some of us were earning about RM2,000 a month cultivating oil palm fruits, but later earned a six-figure income from bauxite mining within a few months.
“While some have moved on to replanting oil palm and other crops, some plots of land are left unattended. A few elderly settlers, who were left feeling the pinch following the government’s move as they experienced a sudden loss of income, moved and stayed with their children.
“The land has become idle and nothing can be done until it is refilled with earth,”
She added that some land owners had died due to old age and illnesses.
The mother of three, whose land is yet to be refilled with earth, said some people might call them greedy for cutting the oil palm trees for short-term gain, but as far as the settlers were concerned, it was all their “rezeki” (earnings).
The moratorium on bauxite mining in Pahang, which was imposed on Jan 15, 2016, and initially set to expire on Dec 31 last year, has been extended for a seventh time for another six months until June 30.