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Malaysia's bauxite boom

04:57

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April 4, 2016

It's something Malaysia's industry has rarely experienced. Bauxite - the red aluminium ore - earned the country billions. Within one year Malaysia was exporting ten times as much bauxite as it had previously. But there was a dark side to the industry, both for the environment and the local population.

As companies rushed to mine whatever bauxite they could find in the state of Pahang, rivers became polluted and many people lost their livelihoods. In January the government imposed a temporary ban on the mining. We visit the area and talk to those affected - and ask what the future holds for Pahang.

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