PETALING JAYA: Strict SOPs require pigs imported from Sarawak into Selangor through Port Klang to be unloaded only between 8pm and 5am using special cages.
Deputy agriculture and food security minister Chan Foong Hin said the livestock are transferred directly onto lorries for delivery to a slaughterhouse in Rawang.
“These procedures are intended to ensure smooth movement, minimise handling time, and reduce the risk of pollution.
“Claims that these operations affect the port’s cleanliness and sanitation should not be made without examining the SOPs and control measures in place. Any such claims should be based on facts and credible evidence,” he said in a statement today.
The Malaysian Muslim Consumers’ Association had raised concerns about the open handling of live pigs, saying it risked polluting the environment and offending the religious sensitivities of port workers and nearby residents.
Selangor PAS Youth also questioned whether importing live pigs disrespected Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s call for only pork to be imported to meet the demand of non-Muslim communities in the state.
However, Chan criticised attempts to link the pig imports to the sultan’s decree, saying the issue had been turned into a controversy based on inaccurate information.
“For the record, these imports have been repeatedly announced and explained to the media and in Parliament.
“In July 2025, Sarawak food industry, commodity and regional development minister Stephen Rundi Utom announced the imports at Pending Port.
“Arthur Joseph Kurup, who was the deputy agriculture and food security minister at the time, and (the) minister, Mohamad Sabu, had also provided further explanations in Parliament.
“This matter has been clearly announced and explained previously. It is not reasonable to present it as something that was only introduced this year,” he said.