SEPA Urges Gov't Not to Entertain Proposal to Mine Sabah's "Lost World"
Copyright 2000 Bernama The Malaysian National News Agency
November 30, 2000
KOTA KINABALU, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- The Sabah Environmental Protection Association (Sepa) today urged the Sabah government to put a stop to corporations putting up proposal to mine the Maliau Basin, a primeval rainforest area deep in the heart of Sabah.
Its president, Henry Chok, said that the area can be considered a core of the heartland of Sabah in terms of natural heritage.
"We have done enough damage to our environment already and now we only have Maliau Basin left, the jewel of the crown and the centre piece of the world's unspoiled nature reserves," he said in a statement here.
"Let us hand over to our children our last remaining rich heritage," he said.
He was responding to a news report two days ago, quoting Malaysia Mining Corp Bhd (MMC) executive director Tan Sri Ibrahim Menudin as saying that the company was exploring the possibility of mining coal in the area, dubbed as "Sabah's lost world" as many were not aware of its existence until in recent years.
Ibrahim was also quoted as saying that exploiting the coal reserves there could satisfy all of the country's coal requirements for the next four decades and save millions of ringgit in foreign exchange.
Henry however said that Maliau Basin, which has, among others, cascading seven-tier waterfall, "can reward us with billions of ringgit" in eco-tourism money.
"The mining venture will create just the opposite and long-term effect, topped up with full scale nature devastation which will cost Sabah and its people billions of ringgit and unrepairable environment damage," he said.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Datuk Osu Sukam, when asked today on whether mining was permissible in the area, said that so far the state government had not given any approval to any companies to conduct such venture.
"The door is not closed altogether (for such possibilities)...we will consider but it does not mean that we will approve," he said.