Environment minister to check on alleged illegal sand mining at turtle landing site in Perak

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 — Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said he will look into allegations of illegal sand mining on a beach that is supposedly a turtle landing site in Segari, in the Manjung district of Perak.

Nik Nazmi, in a brief reply to a Twitter post on the issue by Persatuan Aktivis Sahabat Alam (Kuasa), said: “We will check on this immediately. Thank you for the alert.”

Kuasa, which is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working on environmental issues, yesterday posted a video, showing people allegedly from the company responsible for the mining activities disrupting the group’s visit to the site.

The group said that it had also brought along police personnel, journalists and a state assemblyman — with Pantai Remis assemblyman Wong May Ing sighted in one of the pictures posted.

Kuasa also claimed the beach is under Level 1 of the government’s Environmentally Sensitive Areas framework, which according to guidelines sighted by the Malay Mail makes all development, agriculture or logging in the protected area illegal except for instances of ecotourism or research and education.

Malaysiakini also reported on the issue, identifying the beach as Pantai Pasir Panjang.