The Selangor government will deliberate on the suggestion from Malaysia’s Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to cancel the proposed Bukit Tagar centralized pig farming project.
Datuk Ng Suee Lim, State Tourism and Local Government Committee Chairman, said the matter would be discussed at the next State Executive Council meeting.
He added that the Hulu Selangor Municipal Council has not granted any approval for the project’s implementation.
“We are awaiting instructions from the Menteri Besar to convene discussions for further action,” he said.
“There is no issue in discussing the matter. The Prime Minister’s view was only conveyed recently, and at the local council level, there has been no progress so far.”
On January 23, Mr Ibrahim said he would suggest that the state government cancel the project, which has courted controversy.
Recently, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the state government had yet to find an alternative site to replace Bukit Tagar for the relocation of pig farms.
However, he assured that the state remains open to discussions with all parties to ensure a more orderly and comprehensive livestock management system.
Previously, Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah expressed disappointment and disagreement with the state’s decision to allow pig farming operations to continue in Tanjong Sepat, Kuala Langat, ahead of their proposed relocation to Bukit Tagar in 2030.
Opting for other neighboring states
A columnist of Focus Malaysia wrote that the state had been slow to address this problem positively during the Nipah virus outbreak, which decimated the pig-rearing industry in Selangor.
A possible solution to ending this problem is to opt for other neighboring states that have sparse populations and large areas of land such as Pahang and Perak. Selangor farmers should forget about exports and only produce enough for the state’s needs.
Even though present day modernized pig farms can reduce both air and water pollution, the problems concerning the industry needs to be properly addressed if it going to be located close to residential or industrial areas.
Land prices could take a dip and other forms of urban development can be affected. Even other agricultural communities such as the Felda farmers near Bukit Tagar are against relocating the farms near their areas.
The northern areas of Selangor right from Rawang onwards have vast development prospects in the future, as central Selangor is saturated already.
Both the incinerator project and the relocation of the pig farms could affect the future growth potential of the northern districts. The Bukit Tagar landfill is already a disadvantage to nearby developments.
The southern outlying districts of Kuala Langat and Sepang too are witnessing rapid development due to investments and proximity to the airport.
A lot of seaside recreational and tourist projects also dot the southern Selangor coastline. As such riverine and air pollution from livestock rearing close to these areas, which were recently highlighted in the media, need to be averted.
As such possibly the best solution is to relocate the proposed centralized pig farms to Pahang and Perak. Negri Sembilan is another option.