About 50 percent of the bauxite-polluted areas in Kuantan, Pahang, have been cleaned, to date.

Malaysian Fire and Rescue Department director-general Wan Mohd Noor Ibrahim said the department expects the clean-up to be completed fully by next month.

"The cleaning up must be done carefully to avoid tarnishing the surrounding areas.

"Nevertheless, monitoring from time to time will be made in the polluted areas to ensure the incident is not repeated in future," Wan Mohd Noor said in Kuala Lumpur today.

- Bernama