THE war is on, although undeclared, between the sole licensed sand supplier and illegal operators in Selangor. Worse still, Semesta Sdn Bhd is engaged in a bitter dispute with the state-controlled public-listed company Kumpulan Hartanah Selangor Berhad. Because of the huge demand from the construction industry and the seeming lack of control, sand theft is expected to continue unabated. Semesta itself is certain to continue to make handsome profits due to the demand and because of the low royalty it pays to mine land owned by a government-linked company.
SHAH ALAM: Sand theft in Selangor is expected to continue to be rampant as the sole licensed supplier is hard pressed to meet the demands of the construction industry which has admitted to buying from questionable but cheaper sources.