Sultan Sharafuddin urged the government to instead give additional licences to import pork, to meet the needs of non-Malays in Selangor.
“His Royal Highness does not consent to pig farming being conducted in any district in Selangor.
“The Sultan of Selangor calls for this issue involving pig farms to be put to an end because it has caused unease among all parties, affecting peace and harmony.
“Therefore, all parties are urged to respect the sultan’s call and preserve the state’s unity and harmony together,” the Selangor Royal Office said in a statement.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said yesterday that pig farming was fine in itself but must not be conducted anywhere near residential areas, particularly to account for the sensitivities of local communities.
Sultan Sharafuddin welcomed Anwar’s statement, saying the rearing of pigs often leads to foul smells and even river pollution.
He expressed concern that allowing these farms to operate would pollute water catchment areas and the rivers that supply clean water to residents in the Klang Valley.
“Although air and river pollution can be overcome through modern farming techniques, it requires a large expenditure and will not be able to be funded by farmers only supplying pork to residents in Selangor.
“Additionally, there is no guarantee that modern farming will not cause water pollution in water catchment areas and rivers,” he said.
The ruler said neither large- nor small-scale pig farming was suitable for Selangor because of the limited land in the state, which he said should be used for purposes that would be more beneficial for the people.
Giving more import licences would meet the needs of local non-Malays while allowing the state government to optimise land use, whether for development or to build homes, he said.
The sultan’s intervention had led to the Selangor government scrapping a proposal to centralise the state’s pig farming industry in Bukit Tagar, Hulu Selangor.
The state government’s proposal was aimed at eventually closing down pig farms in Tanjung Sepat, following complaints from local residents.
There are about 30 of these farms left in Tanjung Sepat but they will all be closed by the third quarter of the year, when they will no longer be allowed to renew their licences.