Pollution fears: Malaysia may suspend bauxite mining, threatening supplies to China

Malaysia is pushing to suspend bauxite mining due to concerns about its impact on the environment, a cabinet source said on Saturday, threatening to interrupt supply of the aluminium-making ingredient to China.

The largely unregulated industry has grown rapidly in the last two years to meet Chinese demand. Bauxite mining was blamed for turning the waters red on a stretch of coastline and surrounding rivers in eastern peninsula Malaysia after two days of heavy rain earlier last week.

The cabinet wants to temporarily halt bauxite mining until regulations, licensing and environmental protection can be put in place, the source said.

“The idea is to suspend it for a time until all this is sorted out, but ultimately the prerogative for licensing lies with the state,” the source said.

Prime Minister Najib Razak has asked the resource minister to resolve the issues with the government of Malaysia’s third-largest state and key bauxite producer Pahang, the source said.

Waters and seas near Pahang’s state capital Kuantan ran red earlier this week as downpours brought an increase in run-off from the ochre-red earth at the mines and the stockpiles, stoking environmental concerns.