Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has put his foot down on the pig farming issue in Selangor, a day after it was announced that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim conveyed the government’s stand on the matter to the ruler.
In a statement posted on social media by his private secretary Munir Bani, alongside an image of the ruler captioned “Full Stop!”, Sultan Sharafuddin called on all parties to stop discussing the continuation of pig farming in the state.
The ruler cited environmental and financial concerns as reasons for his opposition to the activity.
“The sultan maintains his position as stated in a Feb 10 press statement, that His Royal Highness does not approve any pig rearing activity in any district in Selangor.
“This position was taken after taking into account the implications of pig farming, which could lead to soil and air pollution, as well as the risk of river water contamination through the discharge of pig waste and sewage.
“His Royal Highness also expressed concern that such activities could affect water catchment areas and rivers that serve as sources of clean water supply for about nine million residents in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Putrajaya,” Munir said.
Govt’s conditions for pig farming
The statement came just days after Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had an audience with the ruler, where he conveyed the federal government’s stand on certain conditions for pig farms in Selangor.
According to government spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil, Anwar briefed the cabinet yesterday about the recent royal audience.
He said the federal government was of the position that pig farming can be implemented in new areas “located far from residential areas, or critical sources such as water supply”.
“(Pig farms) should also adopt the use of the latest technology that is capable of managing waste and pollution issues very well,” Fahmi told a press conference yesterday.
In February, the Selangor Royal Office released a statement saying that the ruler withheld his consent for pig farming in the state, suggesting that pork be imported instead.
While the Selangor government reacted by revealing that it has stopped issuing pig farming licences since January, DAP lawmaker Wong Siew Ki urged the administration to reconsider, including exploring modern and regulated pig farming systems.
Following this, the Seri Kembangan assemblyperson faced harsh criticism and was accused of being “treasonous”, with critics arguing that her proposal was an affront to the sultan’s decree. - FMT
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