The long-awaited visit by a minister to the controversial gold-mining operations in Bukit Koman, Raub, Pahang turned out to be a disappointing affair.

NONE Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Joseph Kurup switched his schedule at the last minute and skipped a re-arranged town hall meeting with disgruntled villagers.

When his convoy reached Raub, he headed for the gold mine, and after a brief inspection, said the operations were safe and hazard free.

Kurup made this declaration at a press conference at a government rest house at the outskirts of the Bukit Koman.

Villagers had complained of a range of ailments and breathing difficulties since Raub Australian Gold Mining Sdn Bhd began using cyanide in its operations in February last year.

Journalists, who had waited from early morning for the deputy minister, were barred from entering the compound of the gold mine.

NONE They were only allowed in after much protest, but their movements were restricted and they were barred from entering the main building with the entourage of the deputy minister.

Kurup was invited by DAP Bakri parliamentarian Er Teck Hwa after the latter had petitioned him on behalf of the villagers at the last Parliament session.

Er and officers from the environment ministry were to meet with the residents at the town hall prior to the arrival of the deputy minister, and they waited with anticipation.

They lined the entrance with a welcome banner to receive him. However, the deputy minister's convoy drove past the village and headed for the compound of the mining company.

Media who were tailing Kurup's convoy were stopped at the gate. Even Er's assistant was barred from entering the tightly guarded compound.

Malaysiakini was told that only certain media who drove together with the deputy minister from Putrajaya such as Utusan Malaysia, TV3 and Sin Chew Jit Poh were given passes.

Kurup's assistant claimed that since the gold mine is a private compound, the ministry had no power to override the restriction on the media.

'Modern technology safe'

NONE During the press conference, Kurup defended the company's use of cyanide in their gold-mining operations and praised it for introducing modern technology into the country.

"Using cyanide to mine gold is safe and has a lot of benefits as it uses modern technology. I was at the site, I don't see a problem," said Kurup.

However several villagers gate-crashed the press conference and disputed Kurup's statement and related how their health and environment have been affected by the mining operations.

Villagers even took the mining company to task for not complying with the international mining standards and thus had no right to operate in the country.

Kurup who was obviously ill-prepared could not provide the answers and relied on his officers to deflect the angry villagers' questions and criticisms.

He simply kept singing the same tune, promising to monitor the mining operations and study the memorandum submitted by the villagers.

To a question by DAP Tras assemblyperson Choong Siew Onn who was present at the press conference, Kurup said should there any untoward incident, the government will act according to the existing laws.