THE Sarawak government is currently assessing the potential for gold mining in Bau following the recent discovery of new gold deposits in the area.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan said the government is considering the implementation of a pilot project on the former mining land, covering approximately 5.281 hectares.
“This pilot project is crucial to determine the feasibility of the mining operation, as well as to evaluate the control measures and mitigation of its impacts before any commercial mining is considered,” he said in his ministerial winding-up speech in the DUN today.
Meanwhile, he said the Sarawak government is currently drafting a more comprehensive policy aimed at empowering the mining and quarrying industry, focusing on the adoption of high-technology and sustainable mining methods to minimise environmental impact.
At the same time, he noted that around 1,400 new job opportunities across various skill levels and fields have been identified in the upstream mining and quarrying sectors in Sarawak.
“In response, the Sarawak government, through the Centre of Technical Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS), will continue to provide technical and vocational education and training (TVET) to school leavers and university graduates to meet the industry’s workforce demands.
“In addition, the Sarawak government is working towards establishing collaboration with the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, for research and development (R&D), mining technology, and the development of professional talent in this sector,” he added.
Awang Tengah also said a digital system known as the Sarawak Mineral Information System (SMIS) is being proposed under the 13th Malaysia Plan (13MP) to enhance the efficiency of mineral and rock resource management in the state.
