The Sarawak state government has uncovered an estimated RM1.25 trillion worth of gold, rare earths, bauxite, and other precious metals within the state’s land areas.

According to The Vibes, Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan stated that the state's geological department made this discovery after surveying 32% of Sarawak's total land area of 12.4 million hectares.

"These minerals include gold, rare earths, bauxite, and other precious metals, and there is enormous potential for further discoveries.

"We plan to survey another 30% of the state. With 12.4 million hectares of land in Sarawak, we are confident of identifying more new mineral deposits," he said.

Amar Awang, who recently returned from a trip to Canada to study their mining expertise, mentioned that the state government aims to use the latest Canadian mining technology to extract Sarawak's precious metal resources.

Previously, gold was found only in the Bau district, about a 42-minute drive southwest of Kuching.

"We have now discovered significant gold deposits in the Sri Aman district, about a 2.5-hour drive east of Kuching, and plan to use Canadian technology to tap into these resources," added Amar Awang.

The proposal for extensive mineral mining in Sarawak follows the recent announcement of the state government's plan to build an additional 10 hydroelectric dams across the state.

In May 2020, then-energy and natural resources minister Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah said Malaysia possessed RM4.1 trillion worth of mineral resources based on current prices at the time, reported Bernama.

According to a study by the Department of Mineral and Geoscience, this valuation included three primary categories of minerals: metallic minerals, non-metallic minerals, and coal.