In a statement, Selangor menteri besar Amirudin Shari said the state government had taken note of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s call yesterday for a halt to pig farming in the state, adding that all pig farms currently operating in Selangor would be closed in stages.
“The state government has ceased issuing pig farming licences since January and has focused on vacating the existing pig farms in Tanjong Sepat,” he said.
Pig farms in Tanjong Sepat have been accused of disposing of waste without proper treatment or compliance with regulations.
Selangor previously planned to centralise the state’s pig farming industry in Bukit Tagar, Hulu Selangor.
However, the Selangor state executive council cancelled those plans last month after infrastructure and agriculture committee chairman Izham Hashim reported strong opposition to the project.
Sultan Sharafuddin yesterday called for a complete end to pig farming in the state, citing the environmental impact caused by such farms as well as Selangor’s demographic composition.
The ruler said neither large- nor small-scale pig farming was suitable for Selangor due to the state’s limited land, which he said should instead be used for purposes more beneficial to the people.
Sultan Sharafuddin also urged the government to issue additional licences to import pork to meet the needs of non-Muslims in Selangor. Selangor currently imports 70% of its demand for pork.
Amirudin said today that moving forward, Selangor’s pork supply would be fully imported, and that the issuance and approval of import licences fell under the jurisdiction of the federal government.
“This decision was made to safeguard the sensitivities of those in the community who are concerned about the impact of pig farms on the environment, including water drainage and odour pollution,” he said.
He also urged all parties to refrain from prolonging the polemics surrounding the issue, warning that such actions could disrupt harmony and fuel suspicion among Selangor’s multiracial and multi-religious communities.