Pollution in Sungai Kereh caused by multiple factors, not just pig farms, says Penang exco

GEORGE TOWN, May 12 — The longstanding pollution issue in Sungai Kereh in Kampung Selamat, Seberang Perai Utara, is caused by multiple factors such as agricultural activities, drainage systems and waste discharge from various sources.

State local government and town and country planning committee chairman H’ng Mooi Lye said the pollution was not only caused by pig farming activities.

“The pollution issue in Kampung Selamat is multi-factorial and not solely caused by livestock activities, but also includes agricultural activities, waste discharge, drainage systems and other environmental factors under the jurisdiction of various agencies,” he said in reply to an oral question by Mohd Sobri Saleh (PAS-Permatang Berangan) at the state legislative assembly today.

H’ng said the Penang Department of Environment (DoE) had received seven complaints related to water pollution and foul odour in Sungai Kereh over the past two years, from 2024 to 2026.

“For each complaint, field investigations were conducted, including site inspections, which found drainage areas overgrown with aquatic weeds, potentially causing slow water flow and contributing to odour issues,” he said.

He said water sampling was also carried out and sent to the Chemistry Department Malaysia in Penang for analysis.

Based on the Water Quality Index (WQI), he said Sungai Kereh recorded conditions ranging from polluted to moderately polluted from 2024 to 2026.

“Based on DoE enforcement statistics, the number of non-compliant premises in 2025 decreased to 43 per cent, compared to 48 per cent in 2024,” he said.

He said this showed that enforcement actions against these premises had helped reduce pollution levels.

He said the DoE, Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID), Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) and Veterinary Services Department (DVS) had continuously conducted monitoring and enforcement to control pollution and ensure it did not reach hazardous levels.

He acknowledged that the Sungai Dua, Permatang Berangan and Teluk Air Tawar assemblymen had repeatedly raised concerns over the pollution issue in Sungai Kereh.

“All concerns and views raised are appreciated, and my team and I take these matters seriously to ensure appropriate improvement measures and actions can be taken, as previously assured during briefings with assemblymen in the Seberang Perai Utara district,” he said.

He stressed that the DVS conducted regular monitoring of the livestock sector through field inspections, surprise visits, complaint investigations and enforcement actions against non-compliant farms.

“Educational and advisory approaches are also implemented to improve compliance with good livestock farming practices and more systematic and sustainable waste management,” he said.

He said the DoE also carried out enforcement in collaboration with the local authorities, DID and other relevant agencies to identify the root causes of pollution and implement corrective measures.

He added that the state government held a meeting with MBSP, DoE and DVS on April 23 to discuss proposed solutions to the pollution issue in Sungai Kereh.

“Among the measures being planned is the transfer of pig waste to the Ampang Jajar Transfer Station (SPAJ) to be processed as raw material in an anaerobic digestion system,” he said.

He explained that the process allows organic waste to be broken down in an oxygen-free environment to produce methane gas, which can be utilised as a renewable energy source.

“This initiative is expected to reduce river pollution and environmental risks while supporting sustainability through systematic waste management and green energy generation,” he said.

He said a follow-up discussion on the matter was held yesterday and the DoE had requested that the SPAJ project facilitator submit a revised Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for the project.

H’ng said the state welcomes livestock operators to adopt modern facilities as the pig farming industry can be managed in a more orderly, systematic and sustainable manner through modern technology and environmentally compliant farming methods.