September 21, 2007

Malaysian state stops forced culling of pigs
 

Malaysian authorities in the state of Malacca have suspended plans for a mass culling of pigs, officials said Thursday (Sep 20).

Community leaders have persuaded the state government to extend a deadline for the slaughter for at least two weeks, said Seah Kwi Tong, a state legislator.

The state government previously decreed that the number of pigs in the state were to be reduced from 153,000 to 48,000 by September 21, citing pollution complaints from nearby residents. State authorities also cringe at the state being called the pig-producing state of Malaysia, a nation with a Muslim majority.

Malaysia is one of Southeast Asia's biggest pork producers, but pig rearing has long been a politically sensitive sector.

Pig farm owners in the state were ordered to either move their pigs out of the state or slaughter them.

Weeks before the deadline, authorities began culling pigs despite protests from owners.

The issue has raised concerns about racial tensions in this Muslim-majority nation.

Almost all pig farmers are ethnic Chinese, while many of the residents who object to the pig farms are believed to be Malay Muslims, making the pig culling issue a racially sensitive one.