News: PKR cautiously welcomes Rio Tinto’s decision to scrap aluminium project

KUCHING: State PKR vice-chairman See Chee How said the opposition cautiously welcomes the decision of Rio Tinto (M) Sdn Bhd to pull out of the proposed RM7 billion aluminium smelting plant in Similajau, Bintulu.
Losing the ‘anchor’ aluminium smelting plant project could be a blessing in disguise as it was opportune for the Sarawak state government to review its decision and drop its plan to construct the 12 mammoth dams in Sarawak, said the Batu Lintang assemblyman.

However, he said, he was aware that Press Metal Sarawak might step in to replace Rio Tinto and together with the other multi-national conglomerates which were interested to “exploit our cheaper hydropower resources and our relaxed environmental protection legislatures and policies” Sarawak would be pervaded by the world’s most polluting industries like aluminium smelting, manganese smelting, ferro-alloy smelting and polycrystalline silicon plant.

“Until today, Sarawakians are kept in the dark as to the environmental impact these industries will have on the state and the Similajau region in particular,” he claimed.

He further said that they were sceptical that these industries would create job opportunities for Sarawakians as “it was reliably learned that one of the manganese smelting companies had doubted the capability of locals to withstand the heat and it has already engaged an employment agency to recruit workers from India and China.”

In addition, these industries would not be generating revenues for the state as they enjoy a 10-year tax exemption – the very reasons that these industries set up their smelting plants in the state – besides the cheap hydropower resources and that other countries were imposing stringent environmental protection and conservation measures on them, said See through a press statement yesterday.


Read more: http://www.theborneopost.com/2012/03/29/pkr-cautiously-welcomes-rio-tintos-decision-to-scrap-aluminium-project/#ixzz1qSxlJMNM