A Malaysian government official has assured former pig farmers who invested in a shelved integrated pig-farming complex in Tanah Merah in the state of Kelantan in northeast Malaysia that they would get all their money back with interest.

Dr, Wee KaSiong, a minister in the Prime Minister's Department and deputy president of the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), a member of the BarisanNasional ruling coalition, said his party was able to convince the former developer of the project, NikmatMaju Development SdnBhd, to refund the individuals after the group had sought his help.

NikmatMajugot government approval to set up the 480-hectarepig-farming complex in 1997. More than a 100 farmers invested in the project.

But in 1998, before the project could start operation, an outbreak of the Nipah virus took place in neighbouring Bukit Pelanduk,claiming the lives of 108 people.

Due to the outbreak, the state government later decided to ban pig farming in the area and cancelled the project.

At present, pig farming is only allowed inAir Kuningvillage, many kilometres away from Tanah Merah, where one farmer is permitted to rear fewer than 1,000 animals at a time.

This week, with the help of Dr. Wee, 16 pig farmers got their refunds plus 20% interest from NikmatMajueach amounting from RM2,737 (US$842)to RM56,000 (US$17,233) each.

More than 50 others who have yet to be repaid will get their money back as soon as their papers are found in order, he said.

In 2009, 41 other former pig farmers sued the developer to recoup their investments and received a judgment in their favour last July.

Those who sued, he said, only managed to get a 4% interest per annum on their investments and had to pay their lawyers as well.