TAPAH: The Perak state government has refuted claims that there are more than 30 pig farms in the Batang Padang and Muallim districts.
Perak human resources, health, Indian community affairs and national integration committee chairman A. Sivanesan said there are only 21 approved pig farms in the two districts.
"In the (Ayer Kuning state assembly area), there are only nine farms and three of them have been approved to be converted to the Modern Pig Farm (MPF) concept while the remaining six are in the process of being approved by the local authority," he said.
He said this after attending the Chittirai New Year celebration at the Ayer Kuning multipurpose hall, which was also attended by Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and Tapah MP Datuk Seri M. Saravanan.
Previously, PAS vice-president Datuk Idris Ahmad claimed that there were 30 approved and licensed pig farms in the two districts, with the number possibly higher if illegal farms were included.
Sivanesan said the modernisation of pig farms was among the restructuring measures implemented by the state government, and the matter would be explained in more detail in the state legislative assembly sitting next week.
"We have taken action to close pig farms because they did not meet the requirements for restructuring farm,s and this is what we have done throughout the 26 months of the unity government in Perak," he said. - Bernama
