In a statement, the former deputy chief minister of Penang said that rivers and other water sources would continue to be contaminated if outdated and environmentally harmful farming methods are maintained.

He also said that modern pig farming techniques, such as the use of closed-house systems and proper waste management, were already being used in many developed countries.

“What’s stopping Perak from implementing the same?” he added.

Ramasamy also asked if any incentives were being offered to pig farmers by the state government to encourage rapid modernisation and the adoption of sustainable practices.

He likewise asked if the state had a long-term strategy to increase the number and size of farms operating under modern and scientific principles.

“A structured development plan would serve both environmental and food security goals,” he said.

His comments followed claims by the opposition of an illegal pig farm near Kampung Tanjung Keramat in Ayer Kuning, where a by-election will be held on April 26.

Perak human resources, health, Indian community affairs and national integration committee chairman A Sivanesan disputed the claims, saying there were only nine such farms in Ayer Kuning.

He also said that three of these farms had been given approval for conversion to the modern pig farm or MPF concept.

The remaining six are in the process of being approved by the local authority, the New Straits Times reported.

Ramasamy said the issue of pig farming must be addressed not with emotive rhetoric but with a practical, science-based approach that respects both environmental standards and the food needs of all communities.

“Pig farming, while essential to the food needs of the Chinese community which makes up 22% of the constituency, is often a delicate issue in a multiracial society,” he said.