(Melaka, Sunday): MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting can no longer keep quiet but demonstrate MCA’s claim as the representative of the Chinese community by intervening to prevent the violent and forcible destruction of Paya Mengkuang pig farms on or after 21.9.2007. This follows the failure of MCA Melaka State EXCO members Datuk Koh Nai Kwong and Datuk Seah Kwi Tong to speak up for pig farmers when they appear to be more interested in preserving their government posts by defending Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam and criticizing those who defend pig farmers.  

Datuk Ong should come up with a 6-point solution:-

a)   close down pig farms that are dirty or fail to comply with environmental standards within a specified period;

b)   issue pig farm licenses to those that are clean, comply with environmental standards and are allowed to rear pigs;

c)   direct MCA two EXCO members to withdraw their proposal to reduce pig production from 145,241 pigs to 48,000 pigs in 15 days which is no different from closing down the pig farms.

d)   pay full compensation to pig farms whose land are forcibly acquired, including buildings, equipment and livestock to ensure that they do not lose everything;

e)   withdraw and cancel 7B notices issued under Section 129 of the National Land Code to forfeit land belonging to pig farmers;

f)   call off any violent action proposed on or after 21.9.2007 which would tear the fabric of social harmony between Malaysia’s communities.

Even though Ali had said that he would allow only 48,000 pigs in Paya Mengkuang, no pig farm licenses are still being issued. Similarly, violent action is proposed against pig farms in Paya Mengkuang even though Paya Mengkuang has been identified by him as a Pig Farming Area. 

Datuk Mohd Ali Rustam had said in Tanjung Bidara two days ago that all his predecessors could not resolve the pig farm problem during the past 50 years but he promised to do this within a month. UMNO Masjid Tanah MP Datuk Abu Seman’s insistence in the papers today that 79,119 pigs must be destroyed or removed within a week from farms in Paya Mengkuang, Bukit Beruang and Man Lok by 21.9.2007 is unfair, unreasonable and high-handed when Melaka pig farmers are denied permits to relocate their pigs to Negeri Sembilan or Selangor.  

Stupid for Abu Seman to say that the Ayer Keroh Abattoir can slaughter more than 11,000 pigs per day

Up to Friday, 17,882 pigs had been removed and Abu Seman was unhappy at the failure to remove 2,500 pigs per day. How then can more than 11,000 pigs be removed a day to achieve the target of 79,119? .

He said the state government will do whatever it takes to ensure the deadline to downsize pig farms is met including ordering the slaughterhouse in Ayer Keroh to operate 24 hours round the clock. Such stupid remarks show that Abu Seman clearly has lost his reason, intelligence and self-respect as it is impossible for the abattoir to slaughter more than 11,000 pigs per day even if they operate 24 hours!  

Instead of criticizing such unreasonable statements by UMNO leaders who wants to play the hero by pandering the religious and communal sentiments, MCA leaders like Koh has chosen to criticize Chinese community leaders. Chinese associations had criticized the government’s barbaric action on 4.9.2007 when 2,000 personnel, FRU troops, water cannons and even helicopters were sent in against law-abiding residents in Paya Mengkuang as if hunting criminals or terrorists.  

Responding to public anger, some MCA leaders have started criticizing the government’s actions as uncivilized but such statements demonstrate MCA’s double-faced politics when they appear only in the Chinese press and not in the non-Chinese press. MCA’s support for Ali Rustam’s action against the pig farmers is unquestioned and complete when Ali said that the Melaka State EXCO had accepted both Koh and Seah’s proposals to reduce pig production. MCA’s reduction of pig production is no different from closing down pig farms.

Why are errant factories that caused water and air pollution not closed down?

Koh said that the Chinese associations criticizing the government’s actions forget that the pig farms are also wrong for being dirty and polluted. Koh added that by behaving like DAP in shouting and fighting for pig farmers, what can they hope to achieve? 

Koh should realize that if not for DAP and pig farmers standing firmly in opposing this action by the government and FRU, the pig farms would have been demolished. During this critical moment none of the MCA and MCA Youth leaders such as Datuk Liow Tiong Lai, Koh Nai Kwong or Kota Melaka MP Wong Nai Chee were present. If they have no courage to face up to FRU, how can they live up to MCA Youth’s exhortation of “mati pun tak lari” or “if you do not offend me, neither would I; but if you do, I shall go for you”. Clearly MCA has shown that that they will be first to run away in any crisis. 

Further if pollution is the issue, why is it that the government is going after clean pig farms that comply with environmental standards? Despite errant factories causing water and air pollution, the state government does not close down these factories. In the last Melaka State Assembly in July this year, Melaka State EXCO for Industrial, Trade, Entrepreneur and Co-operative Development Datuk Ahmad Hamzah said waste discharged from factories in the Ayer Keroh Industrial Zone has polluted Sungai Melaka. The Melaka river was classified as intermediately polluted when cadmium, copper, metal, lead, nickel, zinc and chromium were discovered in water samples. Instead clean pig farms are closed down with dirty ones. 

Clearly closing down errant factories without allowing them to remedy and comply has never been an option to control pollution. The action against Paya Mengkuang pig farms is therefore politically motivated to win Malay votes in the coming general elections and part of UMNO’s ultimate objective of banning pig farming in Malaysia. MCA should evaluate their struggle whether to continue to fight for UMNO’s interests or the change their approach to defend the interests of all Malaysians and the Chinese community.