theSun | MONDAY APRIL 14 2008

œ 9

news without borders

MCA man tells all on pig farming project

Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
THE original centralised pig
farming plan under the previous
Selangor state government was
for a bumiputra company to bring
in German technology and to
utilise funds from United Nations
environment programme.
MCA traditional agriculture
bureau chairman Datuk Dr Lee
Chong Meng, who disclosed
this on Saturday, also revealed
a preliminary proposal for the
company to impose a RM50 levy
on each pig sold by the farmers,
for the treatment of effluents.
According to a report
in Oriental Daily News
yesterday, Lee said Tanjung
Sepat assemblyman Datuk
Karim Mansor, who has been
criticising the centralised
pig farming project in the
Malay dailies lately, was the
person behind the plan to
have a bumiputra firm bring
in German technology for the
project.
He said the previous state
government under Datuk Seri
Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo had
sent a delegation to Germany
on a study tour of the German
technology used in pig farming,
and Mansor and Ladang
Tumbuk village head Mohamad
Tarmudi Tushiran were part of
the delegation.
Mohamad Tarmudi was
among some 200 people who
gathered in front of the Sultan
Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah
building where the Mentri
Besar’s office is located to
protest the state government’s
move to carry on with the
RM100 million modern pig
farming project in Kuala Langat
last week.
“Today I want to stress that
the RM100 million meant to
upgrade pig farming effluent
system would not come from
the state government. Datuk
Karim was to bring in a
German company to set up a
joint venture company with
a bumiputra firm,” Lee told a
“tell-all” press conference in
Kuala Lumpur.
“This joint venture company
was to utilise an allocation from
the UN fund for environment
programme to help (modernise)
the proposed centralised pig
farming.”
Lee said he knew the project
like the back of his hand as he
had attended all the meetings
regarding the centralised pig
farming project approved by the
previous state government.
“Initially, it was suggested
that a levy of RM50 be imposed
for each pig sold as charges
for effluent treatment. But
‘BN must listen’ to win back states
we (the bureau) and pig WANITA Gerakan chief Datuk Tan minister Tun Daim Zainuddin in a Chi- not be regarded as terrorists who
farmers felt it was too high. Lian Hoe says as long as the Barisan nese daily that it would take at least pose a threat to the security of the
The company (tasked with Nasional (BN) learns its lesson well 10 years for BN to win back the four country.
bringing in German pig farming from the recent polls setback and states it lost to Pakatan Rakyat. The people have shown their
technology) agreed to put the starts to listen to the people, it can Speaking to the press after displeasure with the government
levy talk on hold,” he said. recapture Penang in the next general chairing the Gerakan wing’s central through the ballot box by electing
Lee said he hoped election. committee meeting in Kuala Lumpur M. Manoharan, one of the detained
the Pakatan Rakyat state A report in Sin Chew Daily yester- on Saturday, Tan said as long as BN Hindraf leaders, as Kota Alam Shah
government would look day quoted her as saying there is an is willing to listen to the people, “it state assemblyman in the general
into the issue of levy on urgent need for BN to change, and need not wait for 10 years to resume election, she added.
effluent treatment, which he apart from admitting its mistakes control of Penang”. Asked if she was worried that she
believed should be reduced that caused it to lose big in the She said at the meeting, Wanita would come under fire from other BN
progressively. election, it has to take a series of Gerakan resolved to call on the gov- component parties for speaking up,
At the press conference, he remedial measures. ernment to release the five leaders Tan said she was merely conveying
strongly criticised Karim and Tan, who is Gerik MP and deputy of Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) the message of the people to the gov-
Mohamad Tarmudi who, out information minister, was comment- held under the Internal Security Act. ernment and what she said reflected
of personal political interests, ing on a remark by former finance She said the Hindraf five should the sentiments on the ground.
made an about-turn on the
centralised pig farming project.
He also urged Umno leaders
to respect the pork-eating
culture of the Chinese.
Karim was not the only
Selangor Umno leader to
have washed his hands of the
centralised pig farming project.
Khir had also denied having
approved the project during his
tenure.
Lee said early last year, then
MCA state exco members Datuk
Ch’ng Toh Eng and Datuk Tang
See Hang obtained the green
light from Khir to relocate 132
pig farms in the state to a 460ha
integrated pig farming area in
Ladang Tumbuk, in the Kuala
Langat district.
He said most of the 132 farms
involved were actually from
Ladang Tumbuk or from within
the Kuala Langat district.
“In January this year, prior
to the dissolution of parliament,
the Selangor state government
approved the project. Among
those who gave their support
to the project was Karim,” Lee
said, adding that there were
minutes and records to prove
all these.
He said based on his
knowledge, centralised or
integrated pig farming is a good
way to modernise pig farming,
and he challenged the Pakatan
Rakyat to also modernise pig
farming in states under its
control, that is Perak, Penang
and Kedah.
Lee also urged Health
Minister Datuk Liow Tiong
Lai to take stern action against
pig farmers found still using
beta-agonist.
It was reported last week
that two farms in Selangor were
suspected to have been feeding
their pigs with the banned
growth enhancer.

Mei Fun mum on Wanita top post

WANITA MCA deputy chief Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun has neither
confirmed nor denied speculation that she would be going for the
wing’s top post in the party elections later this year.
She told China Press after attending a function in Petaling Jaya
on Saturday that it is not the time yet to talk about party elec-
tions.
“When the time comes, those who want to contest will (make
known their intentions to) contest,” she said when asked to com-
ment on talk that she would contest the Wanita top post.
She said it was premature for her to talk about party elections
as “what is of utmost importance now is to boost party morale and
enhance solidarity”.
She appealed to party members to refrain from making calls
in public for top leaders to resign even if they are not happy with
their leadership.
Such calls will only split the party, she said.