Protest against closure of pig farms

Protest against closure of pig farms
Kuek Ser Kuang Keng
Malaysiakini, Mar 11, 06 8:15pm


Frustrated over Malacca state executive member Seah Kwi Tong’s failure to resolve their problems, about 100 angry pig farmers staged a noisy demonstration right outside the former’s house yesterday.

Seah had initially ‘promised’ a group of 81 pig farm owners that he would try to convince the state government to reconsider its decision to close down their farms, effective March 15.

Armed with empty milk powder tins, school bags and posters, the pig farmers demonstrated for an hour under the watchful eyes of 20 police officers.

“If we lose our farms, how are we going to afford food and books for our children?” asked one disgruntled farmer.

The state government ordered all farms to close before the deadline. The farms will be forcefully sealed should the farmers fail to comply.

According to Lim Ah Keat who led the demonstration, Seah had promised on three occasions over the past few months that the matter will be resolved but the farmers kept on receiving letters about the closures.

Million-ringgit business

Seah, who attending a meeting elsewhere during the protest, was previously assigned by the Malacca MCA to assist the breeders in resolving the matter.

Lim said that if Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Mah Siew Keong who visited Malacca yesterday failed to solve the matter, they will turn to opposition parties for help.

“The Malacca government is not fair, how can they simply close down our multi-million ringgit properties?”, said Lim adding that a civil suit to delay the state government’s order might be on the cards.

When contacted, Mah revealed that Malacca State Secretary Ismail Salleh will allow one farmer, Chin Nam Yee to appeal to the state government before the order is enforced.

Chin, who is also Malacca Livestock Breeder's Association president will present his appeal one day before the deadline.

Mah declined to comment on the fate of the other 80 farms. However, he said the outcome of Chin's farm will affect the rest.

The deputy minister also stressed that the pig farms falls under the state government's authority and the ministry is powerless to intervene.


Malacca orders all pig farms to close
Kuek Ser Kuang Keng
Malaysiakini, Mar 9, 06 1:38pm


The Malacca state government has ordered the closure of all 82 pig farms in the state in a letter first issued to farmers on March 1.

The letter, from the state’s veterinary services department, provided the breeders with a two-week deadline to comply with the order. Farmers were told to either sell, shift the animals or use any means necessary to ensure that their farms are not operational after the stipulated period. According to the department’s letter, the order is in accordance with a decision made at a state exco meeting in April 1999.

Since then there have been negotiations to stall the decision.

The breeders were warned that if they failed to comply with the order, their farms can be sealed. The disgruntled breeders then placed an advertisement in Chinese language newspaper Oriental Daily asking for the public’s support to have the order revoked. In their advertisement, the breeders warned that if it can happen in Malacca, it can happen in other states as well. Also inserted in the advertisement was the caricatures of four pig breeders in Malacca waiting to be hanged.


Rude shockMalacca livestock breeders association president Chin Nam Yee said the advertisement was placed after the breeders failed to find a solution to the matter, although two MCA state excos Poh Ah Tiam and Seah Kwi Tong had previously assured them that it will be resolved. He said only Oriental Daily had agreed to publish the advertisement while the other four Chinese newspapers had declined to do so.

The pig farming issue was raised last Dec by Seah and Malacca Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam was said to have verbally agreed then that there will be no action for the time being. However, the breeders suffered a rude shock when they started receiving the letter since last week.

According to Chin, the authorities want to centralise pig farming in the state but have yet to pinpoint a location. He said the breeders had demanded that the state government identify the place for the centralised pig rearing. However, the state government wants them to form a cooperative first and then apply for a place.