October 29, 2003

Indonesia Demands Slaughter of Goats From Malaysia To Prevent Foot-and-Mouth Disease

Ten goats from the Malaysian state of Kedah, recently sent to the town of Pematang Siantar in Indonesia's North Sumatra province, must be slaughtered as they are likely to spread foot-and-mouth disease, an Indonesian official has said.

"The 10 goats from Malaysia must be slaughtered," the Indonesian Agriculture Ministry's director general for animal husbandry, Sofjan Sudardjat, said on Monday.

Malaysia is among the list of countries where the disease has not yet totally died off, he said.

He said quarantine officials in Medan have permitted the goats to enter North Sumatra because they belong to a member of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).

Sofjan said he had spoken with the MPR member, who reportedly forced quarantine officials to let the goats enter North Sumatra.

The goats entered Pematang Siantar through the Tanjung Balai port in North Sumatra on October 6.

The Indonesian government has also rejected camels sent by the Yemeni government, buffaloes from Pakistan, meat from India, and more than 200,000 tons of corn from Argentina and Brazil in an effort to prevent the spread of foot-and-mouth disease.