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KOTA KINABALU – The Sabah government has detected smuggling of chicken into Sabah and is going all out to put a stop to it, said state Assistant Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Datuk James Ratib today.
He said that he found the measures taken to curb smuggling very lenient during his visit to the Sabah Veterinary Services Department’s Sepanggar Port office last Tuesday.
He said chicken smuggling was a major problem for the government and people, as it entails the questionable halal status of the smuggled chickens, and reflects on worrying economic “leakages”.
“By leakages, we mean that this unlawful activity is causing huge losses to Sabah’s revenue collection,” he said.
Ratib said that the activities have been going on for a long time and have to be stopped immediately.
As such, the state has taken several drastic measures, including placing several enforcement officers in Kota Kinabalu Port for proper inspection of chicken distribution so that it will be conducted with transparency and according to the law.
“I have also prepared several vehicles for the Veterinary Services Department to tail containers suspected to be involved in chicken smuggling and making false declarations of their destinations,” he said.
He warned those involved to stop immediately before legal action is taken against them.
Also present during Ratib’s visit were quarantine and import-export Section head Nur Hasreena Nadia Ahlun, enforcement section head Francis Palikat; and Sabah Veterinary Services Department quarantine officer (Sepanggar Port) Madsah Laudin. –The Vibes, June 16, 2022
