IPOH: With minerals becoming a new source of revenue for Perak, the state government has applied for an RM20mil allocation from the Federal Government for the study of mineral resource deposits in the state, says Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad (pic).
The Mentri Besar said this is to enable the state government to better organise and reassess all applications for mineral tenements, particularly for the extraction of non-radioactive rare earth elements (NR-REE).
He said this is to ensure that efforts could be more orderly and focused on areas that have been identified as rich in NR-REE resources, while ensuring environmental sustainability.
“This allocation would enable the Minerals and Geoscience Department (JMG) to conduct studies, exploration, or surveys.
“This is to ensure not only the distribution of NR-REE but also, as has been informed, there are many other new minerals which, if their locations can be identified,
“God willing, we will be able to make not just NR-REE but these new sources as well into new revenue streams for the government,” he said when answering a supplementary question by Tiw Tee Siang (PH-Tronoh) during the state assembly sitting here Thursday (April 17).
Tiw had also asked about the state’s new potential areas for NR-REE mining in the state, and he also wanted to know the number of cases of illegal NR-REE mining that have been caught by the enforcement authorities.
Saarani earlier said six privately owned land plots have been approved based on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report for the purpose of NR-REE mining in Kenering at the Hulu Perak District.
However, he said only one plot is currently operating as a pilot project for NR-REE mining.
“The remaining five plots will be developed in phases to ensure environmental sustainability, in line with the responsible mining agenda under the Perak Sejahtera 2030 Plan, once the operations at the current NR-REE mining site are concluded.
“Based on the preliminary studies carried out by JMGGeoscience (JMG) Malaysia Perak, there are four districts with potential NR-REE mineral sources — Hulu Perak, Kuala Kangsar, Larut Matang, and Kinta — with total estimated reserves of approximately 1.7 million metric tonnes.
“However, between 70% and 80% of these potential reserve areas are located within forest reserves,” he added.
Saarani said the state government has been given approval by the federal government to implement the pilot project within the forest reserve, and the successful, systematic, and planned implementation of this project, has earned the trust of the Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Ministry.
On illegal NR-REE mining, Saarani said there have been three cases that have been prosecuted due to the cooperation between the state Forestry Department, the state’s Land and Mines Office and the police between 2019 and 2023.
He said these cases involved illegal NR-REE mining activities in the Bintang Hijau Forest Reserve, Kenderong Forest Reserve, and Ulu Piah Forest Reserve, all located in the Hulu Perak district.
“A total of 31 individuals were detained, comprising 10 locals and 21 foreigners. They were charged under the Forestry and Immigration Act,” he added.
