KLANG: Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah has reaffirmed his stance against pig farming activities in the state.
Sultan Sharafuddin's private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani said in a statement on Thursday (May 7) that the royal directive reinforced a previous statement made on Feb 10 that His Royal Highness was not in favour of pig farming being carried out in any district in Selangor.
Munir added that the Ruler made the stand against pig farming in the state after assessing its long-term implications on soil and air pollution, as well as the risk of water source contamination through the discharge of waste and sewage.
"His Royal Highness also expressed deep concern that the activity can adversely impact water catchment areas as well as rivers that are the primary source of clean water for approximately nine million residents across Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya," the statement read.
It added that implementing modern pig farming methods was expensive as well as impractical and cannot be implemented solely to meet local demand in Selangor.
Munir added that Sultan Sharafuddin has suggested that pork be imported from other states, such as Sarawak, to meet the needs of non-Muslims in the state.
He pointed out that Singapore too did not engage in domestic pig farming, and imported pork.
"His Royal Highness is also of the opinion that big- or small-scale pig farming is unsuitable in Selangor given the scarcity and high value of land," he added.
He added that Sultan Sharafuddin believed the land should rightfully used for economic development which would benefit everyone across the board.
Munir said the Sultan also wanted the issue of pig farming in Selangor to be finalised with a "full stop" to prevent anxiety among the people and to ensure continued peace and harmony in the state.
