KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 13 — The Selangor state government is expediting environmental impact assessment (EIA) and social impact assessment (SIA) studies on a proposed centralised pig farming project in Bukit Tagar, Hulu Selangor.
Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari reportedly highlighted the possible existence of housing and residences around the planned pig farm project, besides a potential impact on the environment.
“We will hold consultations with stakeholders in Bukit Tagar, but public hearings may not necessarily be held; we’ll follow rules and regulations,” Amirudin was quoted by Berita Harian as telling a press conference in Shah Alam today.
He added that 69 active pig farmers in the state have been identified.
“We need to explain to the operators that as long as the area is not closed, the pollution resulting from the traditional farming model will continue,” said Amirudin.
“Our first step is to shut down the traditional operations that cause odour and water pollution, and shift towards modern farming run by the private sector in Bukit Tagar.
“I want to see how the sewage system works—whether it can operate without posing risks to river areas and the environment.”
In a statement issued by the Selangor palace yesterday, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah decreed that existing pig farming operations in Tanjung Sepat, Kuala Langat, should be relocated completely to Bukit Tagar.
The state ruler also called for data on pork demand among non-Muslims only in Selangor, stressing that there should be no pork exports.
“The findings of this study must be used as the primary basis for determining the scale, capacity, and size of pig farming operations in Bukit Tagar, so that they remain at a reasonable and controlled level,” said Sultan Sharafuddin.
Amirudin told reporters today that preliminary data from the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) showed there are currently 120,000 pigs being farmed, meeting just 30 per cent of domestic needs.
After the ruler’s audience with several state executive councillors yesterday, Selangor infrastructure and agriculture exco Izham Hashim reportedly told a press conference that Sultan Sharafuddin’s views were aligned with the state government’s proposal to relocate existing facilities to a new site in Bukit Tagar.
Malaysiakini reported Izham as saying that the proposed Bukit Tagar site of around 500 acres included buffer zones along the perimeter and between farms.
He added that the proposed modern facility will also retain the existing conditions on odour prevention, prevention of swine-related diseases, and on-site wastewater recycling.
In a statement last August, Miri MP Chiew Choon Man highlighted various obstacles hindering Malaysian pig farmers from adopting modern pig farming, as the industry continues to struggle with African swine fever (ASF) outbreaks.
He noted that the farm prices of live pigs jumped over 140 per cent from around RM7.18/kg in 2019 to RM17.50/kg in 2025.
