The Sun: List of illegal sand mining hot spots released

SHAH ALAM (July 13, 2010): The Selangor government today released the list of areas where illegal sand mining is rampant.
A total of 25 hot spots were disclosed in the list distributed to the media and involves an average monthly quantity of 1.056 million metric tones.
These hot spots are located in districts such as Gombak, Hulu Langat, Hulu Selangor, Kuala Langat, Kuala Selangor, Petaling and Sepang.
The land involves those under private ownership, government land and riverbeds.
The state government estimated that if royalties were collected from these areas, they would amount to more than RM1.9 million monthly.
The locations are:
1. Bandar Tasik Puteri, Rawang – 20,000 metric tones (mt)
2. Country Home, Rawang – 25,000 mt
3. Kundang, Rawang – 30,000 mt
4. Balakong – 25,000 mt
5. Bandar Teknologi Kajang – 30,000 mt
6. Jalan Sungai Lalang – 50,000 mt
7. Sungai Long – 30,000mt
8. 28th Mile Jalan Rawang-Bestari Jaya – 10,000 mt
9. Bukit Beruntung – 30,000 mt
10. Serendah – 10,000 mt
11. Kuala Langat (behind Genting Sanyen plant) – 70,000 mt
12. Kota Warisan, Kuala Langat – 80,000 mt
13. Sungai Langat – 120,000 mt
14. Jalan Kebun 7th Mile Tanjung Dua Belas – 25,000 mt
15. Paya Indah – 30,000 mt
16. Bestari Jaya – 119,000 mt
17. Hulu Tinggi – 11,000 mt
18. Batu 3 Railway Station – 12,000 mt
19. Kg Baru Hicom – 10,000 mt
20. Kg. Subang 2 – 25,000 mt
21. Bukit Damar, Cyberjaya – 30,000 mt
22. Dengkil – 80,000 mt
23. Kota Warisan – 50,000 mt
24. Puchong 16th Mile – 120,000 mt
25. Sg Labu – 12,000 mt
Yesterday, Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim announced that Selangor will list the names of those who obtained sand mining licences before 2008 for the public to judge for themselves if they are genuine sand miners once the Freedom of Information bill is tabled and passed by the state assembly.
He told the state assembly that that 80% of those who received the licences are those who do not have the expertise nor the necessary machinery and equipment to do the job.
He said the current state government has made the necessary changes with the aim of increasing the royalty and earnings from sand mining on state land.
"Illegal sand mining has been occurring even before 2008 but it was not widely publicised and allowed to fester, but now it has become a big issue because the earnings of those involved have been cut off," said Abdul Khalid.-- theSun