Group mulls legal action against Penang govt

GEORGE TOWN: The Association of Swiftlet Nests Industry (ASNI) is considering legal action against the state government if it proceeds to evict bird farms from commercial buildings in the town centre.

Penang branch president Carole Loh said its members would lose up to RM77.91mil if they were evicted from the premises - some of which were situated in the heritage zone.

“This is our last resort. We need to protect the interests of our members,” she said in an interview.

There are 147 registered swiftlet farmers in the commercial zones within George Town, and most of them have invested a minimum renovation cost of RM50,000 in the pre-war buildings where the swiftlets are bred.

Small and Medium Industries Association of Penang secretary-general Dr Kenneth Khoo, who supported ASNI, said the farms were not within residential areas.

The 2005 guidelines for operators states that farming activities for bird nests must be conducted away from residential areas.

“There are legitimate expectations when the council made the 2005 guidelines public, and the birdhouse owners complied with the guidelines by setting up the birdhouses in commercial areas,” Dr Khoo said.

State Religious, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs committee chairman Abdul Malik Abul Kassim has reportedly said the state would review current policies on bird nest farming.