Sarawak Considers Pilot Project For Gold Mining In Bau
KUCHING, May 28 (Bernama) -- The Sarawak government is in the process of assessing the potential for gold mining in Bau, near here, following the discovery of new gold deposits in the area, said Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan.
Awang Tengah, who is also the Second Minister for Natural Resources and Urban Development, said the state government is considering implementing a pilot project in the mining area, which covers approximately 5,281 hectares, under the Sarawak Mineral and Quarrying Industry Development Policy.
“As an effort to strengthen the mining and quarrying industry, the Sarawak government is currently formulating a more comprehensive policy that focuses on high-tech and sustainable mining methods to reduce environmental impacts.
“This pilot project is important to determine the feasibility of the project as well as the control and mitigation of the project’s impact before commercial mining is considered,” he said during the winding-up session at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly Building here today.
He said a digital system known as the Sarawak Minerals Information System (SMIS) was also proposed to be developed under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) to improve the efficiency of mineral and rock resource management in Sarawak.
Touching on the development of human capital in the industry, Awang Tengah said about 1,400 new job opportunities at various levels and fields had been identified for the upstream mining and quarrying industry in the state.
“The Sarawak government through the Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS) will continue to provide Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to school or university graduates to fill the workforce needs.
“In addition, the Sarawak government is also working to establish a collaboration with the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada for research and development purposes and mining technology, and also to produce professional workforce in this industry,” he said.
-- BERNAMA