PARLIAMENT | Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari has reaffirmed the state government’s intentions to crack down on traditional pig farming areas that cause pollution.
Amirudin (Harapan-Gombak) said the state administration’s ongoing efforts to relocate such farms and establish a more centralised system in suitable localities are part of long-proposed plans, which are only now being implemented.
“Previously, when I was an exco… There were two or three papers presented (on pig farming),” the PKR lawmaker said today while debating the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal address in the Dewan Rakyat.
“The issue back then was that there were no investors willing to (take the project on) as the costs were high, and the government also did not want to invest as we felt this was a responsibility covering only about 30-40 percent of the set market.
“But now, investors want to come in, (and) we don’t want to do it there (Tanjung Sepat) because that area requires recovery - a minimum of six years is needed for soil recovery to be carried out to rehabilitate the area,” Amirudin said.
The menteri besar said this in response to queries posed by Amanah MP Sany Hamzan (Harapan-Hulu Langat) and PAS MP Ahmad Fadhli Shaari (PN-Pasir Mas), with the PAS information chief pressing Amirudin to address claims of pig farms in Tanjung Sepat causing pollution.
Fadhli and other PAS politicians, including Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat), had previously alleged that pig waste from farms in Tanjung Sepat is being channelled directly into the Strait of Malacca, with sewage management either not implemented or improperly carried out.
A location further away
Amirudin further affirmed today that relocation efforts are aimed at securing a location further away from residential areas, more isolated, and equipped with the necessary systems.
He highlighted that Selangor is not the only state which has embarked on such initiatives, pointing to moves by Perak, Sarawak, and Negeri Sembilan.
Amirudin also took a swipe at Yunus, asserting that when the PAS man was an exco in charge of agricultural affairs in Selangor, problems with pig farms in Tanjung Sepat were already an issue.
“When he (Yunus) was the agriculture exco, he did not visit (such sites), but when he is now in the opposition, he goes to visit pig farms,” Amirudin quipped.
As such, he urged debates to be based on data rather than sentiments, highlighting that the same theory should also be applied to those questioning the current federal administration’s achievements, which have aided in easing the rakyat’s burdens.
“To argue in this House, we must use figures and data. Otherwise, we end up using anecdotes or storytelling… we (reference) one poor mak cik, and suddenly the whole country is said to be poor.
“Figures cannot simply be dismissed, and figures should not be treated as enemies. Because if we treat figures as enemies, we are rejecting our actual reality,” he added.
Put on hold
On Monday (Jan 26), Amirudin announced that the Selangor government has decided to put on hold its proposed centralised pig farming project in Bukit Tagar, following protests from residents in nearby areas.
Amirudin also said state executive councillor for infrastructure and agriculture Izham Hashim was instructed to identify an alternate site.
The announcement came after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim suggested that the project be put on hold first, or relocated to a more suitable area, provided the technology used is “fully assured”.
Commenting on the issue of pig farms, PAS MP Che Zulkifly Jusoh (PN-Besut) pointed out that in Kelantan, pork is sold openly in public markets also occupied by Malay traders.
“In a Kelantan market, which is next to the PAS liaison office, if I’m not mistaken, pork and vegetables are sold by a Chinese seller. A bit further back, Malays and Siamese traders sell fish. There is no problem at all.
“What we are questioning (regarding) the issue of pig farms (is) the farms themselves and the need to place them in better locations that do not damage the environment and so on,” he added. - Mkini
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.