IPOH: Operations have resumed at three mining plants in Gerik, which were halted following reports of a bluish tint in Sungai Perak.
Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said the companies received official clearance on Jan 13 after investigations were completed.
He said the suspension was imposed to allow relevant authorities to determine the cause, which was believed to be linked to violations of standard operating procedure (SOP) by the companies involved, whether intentional or otherwise.
“The investigations were carried out by technical departments, and approval to resume operations was only granted after the authorities were satisfied that the issues had been addressed.
“I would like to stress that all companies must strictly adhere to the SOP, and there should not be any attempts to bypass regulations, even temporarily.
“Sometimes SOP compliance involves costs, and in an effort to reduce expenses, there may be attempts to violate procedures, perhaps just for a day,” he told reporters after attending an anti-corruption and integrity convention.
The state-level “Keep Malaysia Clean” campaign was also launched during the event at the state secretariat building here yesterday.
Saarani said the state government would take a firm stance against any non-compliance, particularly involving mining activities, which carry potential risks such as radioactive exposure.
“The health and lives of the people will always take precedence over revenue from mining,” he said, adding that strict enforcement is necessary to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.
He acknowledged that companies affected by the suspension suffered financial losses as they were required to continue paying salaries despite having no income during the shutdown.
“I understand that these companies have complained about losses incurred during the suspension.
“But this only reinforces our message that all regulations must be complied with at all times.”
On Oct 21 last year, a viral video showed a stretch of Sungai Perak near Kampung Sungai Papan in Gerik turning blue, prompting the state government to order three nearby mining operations to temporarily halt activities pending investigations.
Meanwhile, Saarani said reports to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) should not be lodged merely out of dissatisfaction over failing to secure a contract or tender.
He said that while authorities welcomed a culture of reporting alleged misconduct, complaints must be genuine and made in good faith.
“It is important to ensure anonymous complaints are sincere and not driven by frustration over unsuccessful tender bids.
“We do not want a situation where, for example, seven companies participate in a tender, one succeeds, and the remaining six then lodge complaints simply because they were unsuccessful.”
