Traces of gold embedded in rocks mined in Penjom, Pahang.
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is rocking the mineral industry – we're among the largest producers of several metals and minerals in the world, from tin to sand and gravel.
Our country was the world’s 10th largest producer of three types of metals last year – aluminium, manganese and tin.
Malaysia was also the 11th biggest producer of rare earth as well as sand and gravel in 2023, based on numbers from Our World in Data.
With all these valuable resources in our lands, here’s some trivia about the top metals and minerals produced by Malaysia:
While these metals and minerals bring economic benefit to our country, experts say mining activities must be done in a sustainable way to protect the environment.
Overall, Malaysia’s mineral resources are valued at about RM4.1 trillion, according to the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry’s New Industrial Master Plan 2030 report on the mineral industry.
“Our metallic minerals are worth RM1 trillion and non-metallic minerals are worth RM3 trillion.
“This provides great potential for economic growth as it offers a wide range of strategic minerals that are vital for key economic sectors in Malaysia,” said the report.
Examples of such strategic minerals are non-radioactive rare earth elements (REEs), tin ore, silica sand, kaolin and bauxite, which is the ore for aluminium.
“These minerals play a crucial role in advanced technologies, electronic devices, pharmaceutical products, aerospace components, automotive materials and chemical compounds,” the report said.
Malaysia is 10th in the world
One of the metals heavily produced by Malaysia is aluminium – last year, we produced 980,000 tonnes of the metal, making us the 10th biggest producer in the world.
We produced 1.4% of the world's total 70 million tonnes of aluminium, which is used widely to make items from foil to aeroplane parts.
Malaysia’s aluminium production has also been steadily increasing through the years, as shown below:
Explaining how aluminium is produced, Dr Zakaria Endut from the Geological Society of Malaysia (GSM) said this metal is mined from a sedimentary rock known as bauxite.
“Bauxite is an aluminium ore that is mainly mined in the state of Pahang.
“Bauxite is formed by the weathering process of basalt rock in Kuantan and the surrounding area,” he said.
Zakaria, who is the society’s economic geology and mineral resources working group chairman, said Malaysia is home to many valuable metallic minerals.
“Aside from aluminium, we also have tin, iron, gold, rare earths, coal and manganese.
“Other important industrial minerals (non-metallic minerals) include limestone, granite, quartz sand, kaolin, quartz, kaolin, ball clay and mica,” he said.
When it comes to manganese and tin, Malaysia was the 10th largest producer in the world for such valuable resources last year.
We churned out 1.25% of the world’s production of manganese – a material used in batteries and steel production (to improve the latter’s hardness and strength).
As for tin, Malaysia contributed 2.1% of the world’s production in 2023, with 6,100 tonnes of the metal mined in our land.
Its production here has also been on the rise since 2020, as shown below.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) Earth Sciences and Environment Department geology programme senior lecturer Dr Mohd Basril Iswadi Basori said there has been increasing demand for tin, tungsten, bauxite and gold.
“These metals and minerals could be further developed in Malaysia.
“New technological advances and mining methods can be applied to discover new resources and estimate reserves in previously abandoned mines – all while adhering to sustainable mining practices,” he said.
Mohd Basril said Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand in South-East Asia were rich in mineral resources.
“The major mineral resources in Malaysia include tungsten-tin ore, bauxite, copper, gold and lead-zinc deposits,” he said.
Our other hidden treasures
While the United States was the world’s largest producer of sand and gravel, Malaysia was 11th on the list last year.
UKM’s Mohd Basril said the sand resources in Malaysia consisted largely of natural sand deposits such as beach and river sands.
“They are also from man-made sand deposits of ex-tin mine tailings.
“In Malaysia, most of the sand resources are used as raw materials for the construction and infrastructure industries, and to a lesser extent in the production of ceramics, foundries and glass products,” he said.
Another precious resource that Malaysia has is rare earth, which has growing potential as it is used in electronics manufacturing.
Last year, Malaysia was the top 11th producer of rare earth in the world at 80 tonnes.
In comparison, the world’s number one producer was China, which came up with 240,000 tonnes of rare earth, or 68.6% of the world’s production.
Mohd Basril said Malaysia has the potential for the formation of weathered REE deposits, similar to other countries in South-East Asia.
“The study of REEs in this region is relatively new, but there is a great potential for development.
“These metals are essential for modern technology and crucial in manufacturing electronics, electric vehicles (EVs) and renewable energy technologies like wind turbines and solar panels.
“Their scarcity and high demand make them strategically important both now and in the future,” he said.
GSM’s Zakaria said non-radioactive REE was extracted in Mukim Kenering in Hulu Perak by in-situ leaching (a mining process using boreholes drilled into a deposit), using low-concentration ammonium sulphate solution.
“The method involves the process of ion exchange that extracts the REE from the soil,” he said.
When it comes to gold, Basril said deposits of this precious metal are widely distributed in Peninsular Malaysia, particularly near Bentong and Raub.
“Many important gold reserves are located in Pahang, Kelantan and Terengganu.
“This includes Selinsing, Tersang, Penjom and Raub-Australian in Pahang, as well as Batu Melintang and Sokor in Kelantan, and Lubuk Mandi and Sungai Pelong in Terengganu,” he said.
Mining and mother Earth
Experts said such precious resources can be used to bring economic benefits to the country.
However, a balance must be reached to ensure that such mining activities will not be detrimental to the environment.
“If these resources are utilised optimally, they can bring significant profits to the country's economy,” said Zakaria.
But environmental problems resulting from mining can be profound and long-lasting, he added.
This includes illegal mining, if it is not properly managed and monitored.
“Effective regulations, mine planning and design, remediation measures and sustainable practices are essential to mitigate environmental impacts and protect the ecosystems and communities affected by mining.
“Higher education institutions should also play a part by producing a well-trained workforce by offering relevant curricula, skill development programmes, community engagement and diversity promotion,” he said.
Zakaria said in future, other potential metals and minerals that can be mined in Malaysia would be ilmenite, lithium and cobalt.
“However, these minerals require detailed exploration to define their resources in Malaysia.
“Ilmenite is used as a pigment in paint, paper, plastics and rubber, welding electrodes and to produce titanium metal.
“Lithium and cobalt are essential components in many of today's clean energy technologies, from wind turbines to electric vehicles,” he explained.
Basril said the sustainable use of mineral resources is crucial as we strive to balance resource extraction with environmental protection.
“This includes trying to find substitutes for limited resources, reducing resource waste, and reusing and recycling non-renewable minerals.
“This holistic approach can help create a more sustainable future while meeting global resource needs,” he said.
