ELECTION debutant Parti Bersama Malaysia has done the proverbial stir up a hornet’s nest after its N46 Perling candidate Boo Wei Han delved on the hyper-sensitive pig farming ban quagmire in his Johor state polls campaign.
Presumably relating to the Selangor experience, the Kancil (mouse deer) man has expressed hope that the state government would make a U-turn after having ordered “two to three generations of pig farm owners to suddenly shut down their operations” given the hardship imposed on their livelihood.
“I wonder why pigs become an issue because people have been raising pigs for 30 to 40 years,” he spoke at the Kancil Truck Tour Ceramah in Taman Pelangi, Johor Bahru on Sunday (June 28) night.
“Have people died living next to the pig pen? Have people gotten sick?”
Interestingly, Bersama co-leader Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli who was also present at the ceramah defended the gated community management firm CEO on grounds that his statement did not only foster inclusivity but rather touched on the responsibility of an elected representative to defend the minority community.
Mocking of rightists
“Many people have sent me messages stating that our candidate is done because he spoke on the issue of Chinese eating pork,” reacted the former economy minister who has since quit PKR.
But I ask you, isn’t that an issue that is close to the hearts of some Chinese voters? We aren’t telling Malays to eat pork.
We are also not telling everyone to celebrate it (Boo’s statement). When we become elected representatives, we must represent every rakyat.”
At the same time, Rafizi who is now a Madani critic took a swipe at political rivals by questioning why the issue was not being fought for by parties that have claimed to represent the Chinese community.
“Don’t ask me or Wei Han. Ask why DAP is not speaking. Ask why MCA is not speaking. That is the voice of the common people,” he jibed.
Alas, the minority community depends on elected representatives to voice their interests and that any issue deserves attention regardless of race or background.
However, not everyone is in concordance with Rafizi who has vacated his Pandan parliamentary seat on May 18 after taking over Bersama alongside former PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad.
The most sarcastic condemnation would come from Muslim convert preacher Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah who told Bersama “to replace its mouse deer logo to that of a pig to ensure election victory”.
“After this, you guys can all build a house near the pig pen, far away from the Malay village. That way, you guys can see pigs every day, smell pig poop, kiss pigs, eat pigs and sleep with pigs … hopefully, all will remnain healthy forever,” mocked the PAS-slant Muafakat Nasional deputy president.
One self-proclaimed “Anti Anwar, Muhyiddin and Azmin” Facebook site which called itself Berseteru went on to re-design Bersama’s mouse deer logo with that of a swine given “rights of pigs are more important to defend”.
There were nonetheless a few noticeable pot shots levelled at Rafizi and Nik Nazmi, chiefly “from having potential to win, now going to fall flat on the ground because of pigs” and “instead of defending the rakyat after leaving PKR, it turns out that they want to defend pigs 
”. – June 30, 2026
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