September 8, 2004

Singapore May Lift Malaysian Poultry Ban
 

Singapore has received a detailed proposal from Malaysia on how it plans to keep the states of Johor and Malacca free of bird flu.

If Singapore is satisfied with the plan, it will consider lifting the ban on Malaysian poultry and eggs from these states. This move comes even before Kelantan is declared safe.

The Malaysian proposal involves strict biosecurity measures. They include setting up buffer zones to isolate the two southern states from any bird flu affected areas in the rest of Malaysia, road blocks for movement control as well as intensive disease surveillance.

Four senior officials from Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority have gone to Malaysia to evaluate if these precautions are adequate.

A thorough evaluation will take a few days to complete.