Expansion of the tin mining began in the 1870s. As of 2003, mineral industry contributes to 7% of the GDP of Malaysia. Total export value were MYR143 million, MYR25 million, MYR93.5 million. There are 70 mines operating around the country employing 3,249 workers.
Types of mining
Aggregate
is produced in Malaysia from quarry and river bed which are mostly found in Johor, Perak, Sabah, Sarawak and Selangor. In 2012, the annual production of aggregate was 122,00,000 tons.
Clay deposits in Malaysia are mostly found in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Penang, Perak, Sarawak, Selangor and Terengganu. In 2012, the annual production of clay was 29,000,000 tons.
Coal
Major. coal reseres. in Malaysia are mostly located in Sabah and Sarawak. with smaller reserves in Perak, Perlis and Selangor. The Labuancoal field produced coal starting 1848 until 1912. As of 1986, coal reserve in Malaysia was 965 million tons in which mostly are bituminous coal. The total known coal area is 5,823 km2. In 2012, the annual production of coal was 2.9 million tons.
Feldspar
deposits in Malaysia are limited, but can be found in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and Perak. In 2012, the annual production of feldspar was 350,000 tons.
Gold
Major gold mines in Malaysia are in Pahang, amely Penjom, Raub and Selinsing, as well as some minor areas in Kelantan and Terengganu. In 2011, the annual production of gold was 4,219 kg. As of 2012, there are active 15 gold mines.
Iron ore
Currently there are 98 iron ore mines in operation in Malaysia. Most of them are small mines operating in Johor, Kedah, Kelantan, Malacca, Pahang, Perak and Terengganu. In 2012, the annual production of iron ore was 10,077,136 tons.
Kaolin
reserves in Malaysia is estimated to be around 112 million tons which are spread in Johor, Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Sarawak and Selangor. In 2012, the annual production of kaolin was 390,000 tons.
Limestone
deposit in Malaysia is abundant, with reserve estimated to be 12 billion tons located throughout Kedah, Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Sabah Sarawak and Selangor. In 2012, the annual production of limestone was 36 million tons.
Mica
There are two mica mines in Malaysia, which are located in Bidor, Perak. In 2012, the annual production of mica was 4,000 tons.
Sand and gravel
and gravel are found in Johor, Kedah, Perak, Sarawak and Selangor. In 2012, the annual production of sand and gravel was 40 million tons.
Tin
In 1979, Malaysia produced almost 63,000 tons of tin, accounting for 31% of world's output. Tin deposit spreads across western Peninsular Malaysia, particularly the Kinta Valley in Perak. In 1883, Malaysia was the largest tin producer in the world. In 1885, 12.8 km of railway was constructed connecting Taiping to Port Weld in Perak. The first trunk road in Peninsular Malaysia was constructed passing through major mining towns in Perak, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan in which it was mostly used to transport tin from mines to ports. In the 1920s, dredging machines were introduced to boost the production of tin. Starting from the 1980s, tin mining in Malaysia experienced sharp decline due to competition from Brazil and the falling of tin price. In 1989, the Malaysian Tin Products Manufacturers' Association was established to promote and protect the downstream business of tin industry in the country.
Environmental restoration
The Government of Malaysia had initiated research for the development of agriculture and aquaculture in former mining lands. Some of the restored areas from mining activities have also been converted into public houses or tourist attractions, such as:
