Malaysia's Poor Can Now Dig for Gold, Legally

The Malaysian state of Kelantan is turning its citizens into modern-day prospectors. To help low-income residents, it has begun issuing official licenses for small-scale gold panning. The program, which started accepting applications on January 1, formalizes a practice already common along the state's rivers. It allows licensed individuals to manually search for gold in specific government-approved areas. Officials say the move targets daily wage earners and people with irregular incomes. It offers them a potential side income as global gold prices remain near record highs. The initiative does not permit mechanized mining. It is strictly for manual panning, which involves using a shallow dish to wash river sediment in search of gold flakes.