KUCHING: The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) has been urged to improve the management and supervision of Mount Tabai in Bau to prevent future illegal mining activities.
Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan emphasized that Mount Tabai has been designated as a National Park area and stressed the necessity for proactive measures by the SFC.
“This incident occurred in an area already designated as a National Park. I have instructed the SFC to enhance and tighten the management of the area to prevent such incidents from happening again.
“Although it has been designated, the facilities are not fully established yet, and this is an aspect we are actively working on,” he stated.
He made these remarks when speaking to reporters after the recovery of the body of an Indonesian man who had been missing since August 13th, at Mount Tabai, following the Ministry of Natural Resources and Urban Development, MUDeNR’s Creative and Innovation Group (KIK) Convention 2024 dinner at the Imperial Hotel on Thursday night.
The Deputy Premier highlighted that illegal gold mining remains a challenge in the area, as those involved seek to exploit locations where they suspect gold deposits may be present.
“These activities are all illegal. The vast expanse of the area makes it challenging to monitor the points of entry for these individuals.
“Nonetheless, I have directed the SFC to devise a management plan to prevent the recurrence of such incidents,” Awang Tengah remarked.
When questioned about potential legal actions against those engaged in these illegal activities, Awang Tengah mentioned that the situation is currently under investigation.
“We need to await the outcome of the investigation. Various agencies, including the police, are involved, so we will have to see how things unfold,” he added.
On Thursday, the remains of 26-year-old Yoga Anggiska were recovered at 3:56 pm by a team comprising firefighters, local villagers, and his family members.
During the event, he underscored the increasing participation of KIK Groups in the KIK MUDeNR convention, noting that the projects presented have yielded a substantial positive impact.
“In a rapidly evolving world, nurturing creativity within the public service is vital, as it has emerged as a key trend in today’s competitive landscape.
“This Creativity and Innovation Convention, as always, sets the stage for the esteemed Sarawak Civil Service Innovation Convention Awards (SCSiCA) for 2024,” he highlighted.
The ceremony also featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for Talent and Workforce Development in the Sarawak Mineral Industry between MUDeNR and the Centre for Technology Excellence Sarawak (CENTEXS).
The MOU aims to foster collaboration in strategic human resource development, enhance training programs and materials, and bolster Research and Development (R&D) to enhance value across the entire mineral-based industry chain.
