Today’s Photograph : Policeman at Work

Traffic control; dedicated policeman at work in Phnom Penh

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Today’s Photograph : Khmer Sculpture

Sculpture workshop in Phnom Penh

Seen by the roadside at Kompong Thom

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Rehabilitation of Rompin town

Bukit Ibam in History

Berita Harian, 18 November 1970

ROMPIN town will not dim with the closing of Bukit Ibam mine.  Instead the government plans to make the town as centre of a large land development schemes in southeast Pahang which will accommodate lives of unemployed workers due to the closure of the mine.

Prime Minister, Tun Abdul Razak, who held a one-day trip to Rompin on last Monday, announced that the government will soon take over the administration of Bukit Ibam and develop it as a town centre for a new land development scheme covering 2.5 million acres.

The opening log and veneer  factories, construction of 4 miles road from Bukit Ibam to merge with Gambang-Segambat  road and another that road that will connects Bukit Ibam to Lanjut, a port on the coast of Pahang, opening Lanjut as a tourist centre and the establishment of a cooperation between the Government of Pahang with a private company to run the remnants of the mine iron supplies – all of which are intended to maintains the town and  the life of its inhabitants as in the past.

The workers – about 1,200 people – will be met by the projects.  The problems faced by workers are to get a new job as soon as possible.

It is hoped that the projects can be implemented as soon as possible so that workers are not unemployed for long periods. There might be better if the position of the workers be scrutinised further to find anyone among them that really need a job fast, because of their commitment; also need to know of theirs know-how and skills, so they could be given jobs according to skill and knowledge respectively.

It is advisable to provide venue to provide advice to employees while they seek for their new employment.

Advice is important for them to understand what is and will be developed for them by the government.

Detailed plans are necessary to realign the lives of thousands who lost their jobs as it is complex and difficult.

Especially to those are habituated in their place of work.

The closure of the Bukit Ibam mine is not only directly affects the lives of workers but also residents of the town such as shopkeepers and traders who rely directly or indirectly to the employees of the mine.

Visit by Prime Minister Tun Razak to Rompin last Monday showed concern of the federal government.

Rehabilitation program are planned to restore the life of the town and its residents. This commitment would calm their minds as their live have been threatened of the result of the mine closure.

The new jobs may not be matched on income, but this should be faced head on. Meanwhile, as advised by the Prime Minister, consolation money given by their employer to the retrenched workers, should be utilised wisely.

While the government is ready to provide help, but effort made by themselves is more effective.

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Govt takeover of Rompin for land project

Bukit Ibam Mine in History

The Straits Times, 17 November 1970

ROMPIN, Mon – Tun Abdul Razak flew in here today and assured the people their town will not die.

“Your mining town will be the nucleus for the giant Pahang Tenggara land development scheme,” the Prime Minister told the 1,200 retrenched workers of the Rompin mine.

He said the alternative employment would be found for them – some in and around the town itself, while others in various projects to be developed later on.

As an immediate measure, the Government would take over the running of Bukit Ibam Mine site and develop it into the nucleus town within 2.5 million-acre land development scheme.

Survey

A special team comprising officials of Public Works Department, the National Electricity Board and other Government agencies had begun surveying the area for the project that would cost $1 million initially.

After his meeting the officials of the mine, Tun Razak told reporters he was “satisfied” with the measure to be taken to rehabilitate the retrenched workers.

The Rompin Mine, operated by the Eastern Mining and Metals Company since 1962, at its peak employed more than 1,200 people and produced about two-and-a-quarter million tons of high grade ore annually.

About 800 employees have been now retrenched due to low output and the remaining workers would be retrenched at the end of January when the mine ceases operation.

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