Felda will consider the form of assistance to be given to its settlers involved in bauxite mining after the three-month moratorium ends in April.

Its chairperson Mohd Isa Abdul Samad said Felda needed to wait for the decision on whether the mining activities should continue with new guidelines or otherwise.

“It is still too premature to make any plans to help the settlers whose income are affected by the moratorium.

“We do not know yet if the bauxite mining will be continued or not, only then we can see how to help the settlers," he said when contacted by Bernama in Kuantan today.

Hence he urged the affected settlers to be patient throughout the temporary halt period while the government identified new guidelines that are effective in carrying out bauxite mining activities.

Meanwhile Bukit Goh bauxite action coordinating committee chairperson Dr Abdul Wahid Manap hoped the government and Felda would find the best approach to help the settlers have better prospects after this.

He said the settlers also incurred losses when some bauxite mining operators were found to be involved in such activities illegally besides excavating bauxite in prohibited areas, including housing sites.

A total of 248 individuals out of the 671 settlers at Bukit Goh felda are involved in the mining with 33 bauxite operators.

In another development, fire and rescue director-general Mohd Nor Ibrahim said the cost of cleaning being conducted by the department in the areas affected by bauxite mining would be borne by the miners concerned.

“The department has spent RM63,470 for cleaning works on a stretch of 84km involving 170 personnel," he said of the cleaning operation which began from Jan 14 until Feb 13, in line with the directive issued by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

The roads badly affected by the bauxite mining activities were Jalan Kuantan-Pelabuhan, Jalan Bukit Goh, Jalan Bukit Kuantan, Jalan Sungai Lembing, Jalan Kuantan Bypass, Jalan Gebeng Bypass, Jalan Jerangau-Jabor, and Jalan Bukit Sagu-Cherul.

- Bernama