SEPANG: Malaysia has imposed a temporary ban on the import of pork and pork products from countries suffering an epidemic of the African Swine Fever (ASF) disease, said Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Deputy Minister Sim Tze Tzin.
He added that the ban also included pork and pork products carried as hand luggage by passengers travelling through sea and air routes so as to prevent the disease entering Malaysia.
He said so far, 10 countries had been reported to suffer the ASF disease, namely China, Mongolia, Belgium, Hungary, Latvia Moldova, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and Chad in Africa.
“Beginning this week, locals and tourists are expected to arrive in Malaysia for the Chinese New Year festival, especially from China, Macau and Hong Kong,” he said.
“They usually buy pork products as gifts. So we are increasing checks at all entry points in the country,” he said in a press conference held at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) here yesterday.
Earlier, Sim chaired a meeting with the Veterinary Services Department, the Royal Malaysian Customs Department and the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (MAQIS) to discuss measures to prevent the ASF epidemic from entering Malaysia.
He said the temporary ban was implemented from Sept 7 last year after the ASF was detected in China in August.
He added that ban was in line with the action taken by exporting countries to control the epidemic.
“Malaysia is still free of the epidemic and the 102 pig farms in Peninsular Malaysia which were checked were found to be negative of the disease.
“We are taking precautionary measures because the ASF disease is easily spread and can cause a very high death rate,” he said.
Sim said if the disease spread to Malaysia, the local pig-rearing industry would suffer losses of up to RM2.7 billion.
He said products at risk from the spread of ASF were live pigs, fresh pork, frozen suckling pig and pork, processed pork (smoked pork, sausages) which had not been treated at high temperatures.
“Pork and pork products found on passengers will be confiscated and destroyed according to the standard operating procedure to prevent the spread of the ASF disease here.
Sim said quarantine bins would be provided at airports for passengers to dispose of controlled or banned products.
Anyone found to have violated this ruling will face action under the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Act 2011 (Act 728). –Bernama
