Malacca flexible with pig reduction policy

MALAYSIA - The Malacca state government will be flexible in its deadline to reduce the number of pigs in farms at three areas in the state. However, the cull of chinese-owned pigs has been stopped amid racial tension.

21 September 2007

3 minute read

Asia

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has said the state government will work on the Cabinet’s directive to find an ideal formula to reduce pig numbers on farms that do not have proper sanitary standards.

In a meeting with Malacca's Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam on Wednesday, he was told that negotiations were underway on a schedule to move the pigs out of the state.

“The parties involved have agreed on a schedule to move the pigs and this schedule is now being discussed with the state government. It has agreed to be flexible, including the deadline, to solve this issue, provided the farmers kept to their promises,” he said.

Najib was also asked about the Malacca Government’s decision to reduce the number of pigs in Kampung Bukit Beruang, Kampung Man Lok and Paya Mengkuang areas to 48,000.

The deadline for the reduction - from 140,000 to 48,000 pigs - was agreed when the state government called off an operation to cull pigs two weeks ago.

The farmers’ plan to sell off 2,500 pigs a day hit a snag as other states blocked the entry of pigs from Malacca, following which, the Federation of Chinese Associations of Malaysia (Hua Zong) said it would bring the matter up with the Prime Minister and his deputy.

Suspended
Mean while, Malaysian authorities have suspended plans for a mass culling of pigs owned by Chinese farmers, to avert a potential dispute with racial overtones. Ethnic Chinese politicians and community leaders have persuaded the government to extend an imminent deadline for the slaughter for at least another two weeks.

"No action will be taken. There will be no culling this week," said , said Seah Kwi Tong, a state legislator. He is also a member of the Malaysian Chinese Association, a key party in the country's ruling coalition.

Authorities had ordered breeders to slash the numbers of their pigs from 153,000 to 48,000 by the end of this week, warning that remaining livestock would be slaughtered due to residents' complaints about odors and pollution from farms.