SHAH ALAM, June 5: The State Government has called for quartz mining activities in Gombak to be stopped immediately because the mining licence in the area has never been issued, said Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.
Instead, according to Abdul Khalid, efforts to receive the Unesco World Heritage Site recognition for the five-kilometre Quartz Ridge mining area will be undertaken.
He thus said that present mining activities carried out as reported in the media previously are illegal.
“It must be emphasised here that despite getting a lot of applications from companies locally and from overseas, including China, Japan and Korea, the Selangor State Government will still not issue a licence.
“The State Government is very mindful of the illegal mining cases and is committed to the success of the Klang Gate Quartz Ridge Conservation as it is the longest quartz ridge in the world,” he said in a press conference after the Exco Meeting here this afternoon.
He stressed that the State Government has also ordered the Department of Minerals and Geoscience to prepare a detailed report of the amount of quartz stones that have been removed from the area and the damages caused by illegal mining.
He added that the Gombak Land and District Office and the Hulu Langat Land and District Office have also been ordered to improve the monitoring of the quartz ridge.
“The report is expected to be completed in two weeks to allow the authorities to conduct further investigations, including the identification of quartz stones that have been compromised.
“Those who are found to be involved in carrying out illegal mining can also be prosecuted for mining without a licence, trespassing and theft,” he added.
