Health Ministry to track residents’ health near Raub mine
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 — The Health Ministry will continue to monitor the health of the residents of Bukit Koman, Raub, Pahang although there has been no proof that cyanide from the gold mine in the area has caused illness in the area.
Deputy Director-General of Health Datuk Dr Lokman Hakim Sulaiman said the ministry, which has been carrying out a series of preliminary health surveys in the area since August 2009 and the latest last June, showed the presence of illness amongst the residents to be within the normal range.
“On last July 12, a dialogue was held between the ministry and the Raub Anti Cyanide Group (ACG), in which it was unanimously agreed that a joint research team be established,” he said in a statement here today.
The meeting was attended by ACG vice-chairman Sherly Hue, he said. He added that on Tuesday, Hue was reported by the Malay Mail as saying that they were still not able to provide concrete evidence that cyanide in the gold mine was the cause of illness in Bukit Koman.
ACG last June has handed a memorandum to Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai at the Parliament to stop the usage of cyanide in the gold mining in Raub, and stated that 78 per cent of the residents living in Bukit Koman had suffered symptoms allegedly after the use of cyanide in the nearby goldmine, he said. — Bernama
