Kuala lumpur: Malaysia Smelting Corporation Bhd (MSC) shares rose 3.42 per cent in early trade, despite its 80 per cent-owned subsidiary, Rahman Hydraulic Tin Sdn Bhd, facing a three-week suspension following a recent water discolouration incident. Rahman Hydraulic, operator of the nation’s largest open-pit eluvial tin mine in Klian Intan, Perak, was ordered to halt operations after the Cabinet approved the suspension last Friday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the waters of Sungai Perak reportedly turned blue on October 21 near Kampung Sungai Papan bridge, about five kilometres north of Kampung Air Ganda in Gerik. Perak Department of Environment director Datuk Dr Mohammad Ezanni Mat Salleh said the incident was likely linked to mineral mining activities, but a detailed investigation was underway to determine the precise cause.

At 10 am, MSC was up half-a-sen at RM1.496, with 1.02 million shares traded.