Malaysia recently reported that it has banned the export of sea sand to other countries, citing environmental reasons. Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad imposed the ban last year in October but the ban was never made public.
The government of Penang, a state in Malaysia, located on the northwest of the country, wants to construct artificial islands on its south bay. The massive development, aptly named the Penang South Reclamation (PSR), is proposed to cover 4,500 acres or seven square miles, which is equivalent in size to the Forest City development in the southern state of Johor, just north of Singapore.
