The bauxite mining ban in Pahang could be extended well into 2017 or even 2018. The reason: stockpiles of the aluminum ore have yet to be cleared in Kuantan despite repeated pledges over the past months by local mining operators to ship their stockpiles away before the latest deadline expires…

First came a three-month ban, imposed in mid-January, on bauxite mining in Pahang. Then in mid-April came another three-month extension to the ban. Now comes another two-month extension to the three-month extension, expanding the ban until September 15. And a good thing too, all things considered. The moratorium on bauxite…