KUANTAN: The Pahang government ceased issuing new mining lease or exploration license for Tasik Chini since its gazettement as a permanent forest reserve two years ago.
The State Land and Mines director's office, in a statement, said previously 14 mining licences were granted to operators at the site but none were issued after it was declared a permanent forest reserve in March 2019.
"Currently only two operators are working at the site. One mining licence is set to expire at the end of this month (June) while another by December this year. The state government remains committed not to issue any fresh licence around Tasik Chini.
"Allegations that the existing mining activities around Tasik Chini were conducted within the permanent forest reserve is untrue. The permanent forest reserve is protected from any other land use activities including mining and logging," read the statement.
The Pahang government during the state executive council meeting on March 13, 2019, had gazetted an area measuring 4,498ha within the Tasik Chini state park as a permanent forest reserve.
The area has been proposed as the new site for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) biosphere reserve.
Meanwhile, the statement said the state government has never compromised with mining lease operators who fail to comply with the required conditions based on the assessments provided by eight federal and state technical agencies.
The eight agencies involved are the Minerals and Geoscience Department, state Forestry Department, Department of Environment, Drainage and Irrigation Department, District and Land Office, Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan), Public Works Department and Water Regulatory Body.
Citing an example, the office said on June 17 last year, the state authority had issued an immediate stop-work order to several mining lease operators near Tasik Chini for not complying with the conditions of approval for mining activities.
"On July 20, all the operators were issued with standard operating procedures to ensure rehabilitation efforts following the non-compliance of the mining approval conditions at Tasik Chini.
"They were required to mark the boundaries (mining site), install barriers or fencing, plant trees, register their machines, imposed with a RM250,000 security bond, set up an inspection schedule, prepare a post for the enforcement team, install signages and conduct regular site inspections," it read, saying the operators were only allowed to resume operations once they met the conditions.
Meanwhile, the office said the state forestry department in 2019 took efforts to revive the surrounding areas near the lake by carrying out rehabilitation and replanting of trees in an area measuring 1.2ha with a cost of RM250,000 through the Joint Rehabilitation Trust fund.
The office stressed that the state government has always been consistent in ensuring the sustainability of the natural treasures not only in Tasik Chini but throughout the state.
"The determination and success were proven through the enforcement and conservation efforts carried out at Sungai Ichat in Mukim Hulu Tenom in Cameron Highlands in 2019," it read.
Sungai Ichat, once embroiled in pollution issues, now has full Class 1 (minimum treatment) water quality in less than two years after the Pahang government implemented severe enforcement action to tackle encroachment and illegal land clearing activities for farming near the river.
Meanwhile, a state government source said Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail remained steadfast to his pledges against approving or renewing licences for mining activities around the lake.
"The state executive council meeting in 2019 agreed on the implementation of special policies to safeguard the environment around Tasik China and gazetted 4,498ha which is equal to the size of 6,000 football fields.
"To curb illegal mining activities, the state government agreed to set up the Forestry database - Geographic Information System and monitoring with Lidar (light detection radar which is a remote sensing technology using pulsed laser light) to curb land encroachment," said the source, adding the state government was serious about reviving Tasik Chini to its former glory days.
The source said mining activities near Tasik Chini was reaching their tail-end and there would be zero-mining works near the lake next year once the licence of the two existing "legal" operators expire this year.
The New Straits Times reported that the Orang Asli community, who live near Tasik Chini and rely on the lake as their main source of clean water supply, were pleading to the state government to stop the iron ore mining activities which had been ongoing for more than a decade.
They said the mining activities have resulted in parts of the lush green landscape near the lake being replaced with red, bare hills thus making it difficult for the villagers to hunt or find forest products.
The latest development comes in the wake of recent reports that the Pahang government has given the green light for mining operations in the vicinity of Tasik Chini in Pekan to a royalty-linked company.