BALINGIAN Sarawak PKR is still collecting more information on the effects of Press Metal Sarawak’s aluminum smelting plant in Mukah, with a view to suing the company for “mysterious illnesses” caused by emissions from the plant.

“We are talking to the people living near the plant  who have claimed to have been suffering from various ‘mysterious illnesses’ said to be caused by emissions from the plant,” lawyer and PKR Sarawak vice-chairperson See Chee How said today.

“We want the people with complaints to come forward so that we can file a legal suit against Press Metal Sarawak,” See ( left ) said, adding that the case could be filed soon after the Balingian by-election.

The emissions from the plant and the alleged side effects are one of the hot campaign issues in the by-election, for which polling will be this Saturday.

PKR’s Abdul Jalil Bujang will be taking on Yussibnosh Balo of BN-PBB. Balingian is one the strongest BN-PBB constituencies.

“In addition to a finding by Sarawak Dayak Iban Association (Sadia) in February 2012, we are now collecting the latest data on the health situation of the people,” said See, who is the PKR director for the by-election.

2012 study reveals health problems

According to the February 2012 study by Sadia, the smelting plant, which started operating in 2009, is blamed for causing health hazards and economic losses to the natives living the near plant, the majority of whom are Iban.

“The residents of four out of 20 longhouses living within 300m to 12km from the plant said they suffer symptoms such as breathing difficulties, coughing, dizziness, headache, skin rashes, eyesore and even asthma from the polluting emissions of the plant.

“Our survey and interviews also showed that all of the respondents believe that those symptoms developed because of the emissions from the aluminum smelting plant,” the Sadia report says.

The report also says the longhouse residents who suffer the health problems go for medical treatment regularly at private clinics in Balingian or the Mukah Hospital.

“On the average, they have been spending RM150 to RM500 per month for each family. These longhouse residents who stay 300 metres to 12km from the plant also suffered the loss of their cash crops, such as paddy, vegetables and fruit trees.” the report adds.

Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bain said the people living around the plant claimed that every month there are people going to hospital who are being diagnosed with cancer.

Baru said he has instructed See to get more details on this before the legal suit is filed.

Aluminum smelting plants are well known all over the world for their hazardous pollution.

Meanwhile, Press Metal Sarawak has refuted allegations by the opposition  that its smelting plant in Balingian is polluting the environment.

Its group chief executive officer Paul PK Koon said the plant uses the latest technology and adheres strictly to the World Bank and Department of Environment standards.