Local activists are currently on a 17-day march to Parliament House in Kuala Lumpur, to protest bauxite mining in the state. The 260-kilometre walk has received the support of some segments of Kuantan’s population and is led by the Coalition for Action Against Bauxite Pollution. But not everyone is happy, with some citing a loss of income from the Federal government’s moratorium, which ends on April 15, while others are concerned that the end of the moratorium will signal a return to the poor environmental management of a polluting industry. The question remains if our institutions have capacity and integrity to create a win-win situation for all stakeholders.
This report is by Sharaad Kuttan.