One month not enough to clear bauxite stockpile, says contractor

The one month deadline the government has given for all bauxite stockpiles to be cleared from Kuantan Port is not enough, a contractor has said.‎ Jauhari Permai Sdn Bhd manager Bahazelan Abd Wahab told The Star that he needed five months to complete the task, as there were 10 million tonnes of the stockpile at the port. "Only some two million tonnes could be exported within the 30-day period between January 15 and February 15," he was quoted as saying.‎ Bahazelan added that his staff of 80 have been working around the clock to meet the deadline since the government-imposed moratorium began on January 15. "But because of the high volume, it is quite impossible for us to complete the job within the time frame," he was quoted as saying.‎‎ Jauhari Permai is one of 10 contractor companies tasked with clearing the stockpiles and cleaning the area.‎ The Natural Resources and Environment Ministry imposed a three-month moratorium against the mining and transport of bauxite starting from January 15 this year. This was following a January 13 directive by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to the Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government to carry out cleaning works in areas affected by the bauxite mining from January 14 to February 14. During the temporary ban, Kuantan Port is to clear its backlogged bauxite stockpile while the authorities worked to improve the industry's standards. It was reported that about two-thirds of the areas polluted by bauxite waste, covering 39 locations and 17 residential sites, have since been cleaned up. – February 19, 2016.]]>