Malaysian firm to open gold mine in S. Kalimantan

Malaysia Timah Langsat Holding Sdn Bhd will open a gold mine in the Paramasan district of Banjar regency in South Kalimantan, sources have said,

The source said in Banjarmasin last week that the Malaysian company had been awarded to develop a 200-hectares gold mine concession in the district that could become one of the largest gold mining in the province.

He said that the Malaysian company would cooperate with local firm PD Aneka Usaha Berikat in conducting its mining activities. But he added that the presence of the Malaysian firm could trigger conflicts with traditional miners in the province because some part of the mine areas awarded to Malaysia Timah overlapped with the concessions owned by the traditional miners.

Siswa Yusranto, the president of PD Aneka Usaha, said, however, that fears of possible conflicts with the traditional miners were exaggerated because no single parts of the concession areas given to Malaysian firm overlapped with the mine areas which had been given to the traditional miners. (*)