Sultan Sharafuddin Disapproves Pig Farming In Selangor

SHAH ALAM, Feb 10  (Bernama) -- The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, has not granted permission for pig farming to be carried out in any district in Selangor due to the risk of pollution that could adversely affect surrounding communities.

The Sultan’s private secretary, Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani, in a statement, said that His Royal Highness is of the view that pig farming could lead to air pollution through foul odours, as well as contaminate river water sources due to the discharge of animal waste and effluent.

“For example, the proposal to carry out pig farming in Bukit Tagar, Hulu Selangor,  an area inhabited by Malays and a Felda settlement, would certainly face objections from the local Malay community and surrounding residents.

“It could also pollute water catchment areas and rivers that supply clean water to the people of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya,” he said.

According to Mohamad Munir, Sultan Sharafuddin acknowledged that although air and river pollution could be mitigated through modern farming methods, these would require substantial financial investment and are not viable for operators whose sole purpose is to supply pork within Selangor.

Moreover, he said, there is no guarantee that even modern farming techniques would prevent water pollution in catchment areas and rivers that serve as sources of clean water for the Klang Valley.

“In addition, both large-scale and small-scale pig farming are unsuitable for Selangor due to limited land availability, compounded by high land and property values that should instead be utilised for more economically beneficial purposes and for the community,” he said.

Mohamad Munir said the Sultan recommended that the government consider issuing pork import licences to meet the needs of non-Muslims, particularly the Chinese community in Selangor.

He said this approach could help resolve the long-standing pig farming issue while allowing the Selangor government to optimise land use for other purposes, such as development and housing.

“The Sultan of Selangor stressed that the pig farming issue should be halted and conclusively resolved, as it has caused concern among all parties and affected the peace and harmony of the community.

“Therefore, all parties are urged to respect the views of His Royal Highness and work together to preserve unity and harmony in the state,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mohamad Munir stated that Sultan Sharafuddin welcomed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s statement opposing pig farming in areas objected to by local residents and where it could trigger controversy.

The matter was discussed between the Sultan of Selangor and Datuk Seri Anwar during a meeting in the federal capital two days ago.

-- BERNAMA