IPOH, Feb 11 — Perak will speed up the Modern Pig Farming (MPF) system in the state for better operations and the welfare of the local community.
State Human Resources, Health and Indian Community Affairs Committee chairman A. Sivanesan said the speeding up of the system’s implementation follows the high volume of complaints from nearby residents affected by pollution.
"We receive many complaints from the public regarding the smell, air pollution and so on. So, we decided to restructure this industry and change it to the MPF method which is a closed-cage concept.
"In addition to the pig farms, the odour and air pollution from chicken farms are also a concern as we often receive complaints from residents, especially in Manjung, who say they cannot enjoy their meals due to these issues. We can stop all these things if we change to this system (MPF)," he said.
Sivanesan said this at a press conference after attending the 5KM Colour and Water Fun Run 2023, organised by the Perak Health Coalition Club, at Hospital Bahagia here today.
He said so far, the government has reduced the number of pig farms from 115 to 87 while the rest will be closed or converted to chicken farms.
"Originally, Putrajaya had issued instructions related to this system in 2017, but it has been delayed until now. Perak does not want to wait any longer so we want this implementation (of the new system) to be done immediately," he said.
In other developments, he said the Perak government has applied for an increase in the health-related budget for the 2023 federal budget.
"We have discussed this with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim with a request for an increase in hospital beds in the state, among other things because of overcrowding (patients). We want to increase the number of beds and facilities for the comfort of the public," he added.
On Wednesday, Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad submitted a list of applications for development projects, worth RM3 billion, to be included in Budget 2023 (federal budget), including the reconstruction of the East-West Highway and additional beds at the Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital (HRPB). — Bernama
