Two Selangor opposition figures have told the state government not to hide behind the technicalities of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) requirements in addressing pig farming.
Instead, they called on the government to resolve the longstanding pollution involving the farms and to uphold the decree of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who had expressed his disapproval of pig farming activities continuing in the state.
Selangor PAS Youth chief Sukri Omar said the explanation by Natural Resources and Environmental Sustainability Deputy Minister Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh that existing pig farms were not subject to the EIA Order 2015 failed to answer fundamental concerns raised by the public.
“The real question is why an issue that has persisted for years - with repeated complaints over river pollution, foul odours affecting residents’ quality of life, and concerns about water sources - has yet to be comprehensively resolved.
“If complaints have been lodged repeatedly, the government should focus on enforcement and solutions, rather than merely explaining that these operations are exempt from EIA requirements because they were established before 2015,” Sukri (above) told Malaysiakini yesterday.
On Thursday, Syed Ibrahim explained that only new pig farms with at least 2,000 pigs are required to undergo a mandatory EIA, while existing farms such as those in Tanjung Sepat were exempted as they had been operating before the EIA Order 2015 took effect.
Elaborating further, Sukri said exemption from EIA requirements does not absolve farm operators of their responsibility to comply with environmental laws.
He urged the ministry and the Environment Department to exercise their powers under the Environmental Quality Act 1974 against any operations that pollute rivers, threaten water sources, or affect the well-being of nearby residents.
Sukri added that the federal government cannot sidestep its responsibility by arguing that licensing falls under the state government, as federal agencies still possess enforcement powers over pollution-related offences.
‘Pollution happening today, not in the past’
Meanwhile, Permatang assemblyperson Nurul Syazwani Noh said the government’s explanation had diverted attention from the real issue, as the pollution experienced by the public is currently occurring, regardless of whether a farm was established before or after the EIA Order 2015.
“This is not about whether the farm is old or new. If a farm has been operating for years but continues to cause river pollution, air pollution, foul odours, effluent discharge, or disrupt residents’ well-being, the fact that it was established before the EIA Order came into force should not be used as an excuse to ignore its impact on the people.
“The law may not apply retrospectively, but the pollution borne by the public is happening today, not in the past,” she said.
Nurul Syazwani said all high-risk farms, whether old or new, should be subjected to regular environmental audits and stricter monitoring.
She also questioned the 2,000-pig threshold for mandatory EIA, arguing that several smaller farms within the same area could collectively generate a greater environmental impact.
She urged the government to review its current approach so that environmental assessments consider cumulative impacts, including total farms in a given area, their proximity to residential communities, and the actual environmental risks involved.
The Bersatu leader also stressed that even if a farm is not required to prepare an EIA, legal action can still be taken if it causes river or air pollution, discharges effluent, creates nuisance odours, or breaches its licence conditions.
The Selangor government previously ordered all pig farms in Tanjung Sepat to be vacated and fully shut down by the end of June, with enforcement set to begin on July 1.
The move followed the Selangor sultan’s earlier position that he did not consent to pig farming activities being carried out in any district in the state. - Mkini
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