KOTA KINABALU – A Sabah Progressive Party leader today lambasted Agriculture and Food Security Deputy Minister Chan Foong Hin for not being able to stop the rising price of pork since joining the federal cabinet.
SAPP vice-president Gee Tien Siong said even though Chan, from DAP-PH, had made promises to solve the problem, he has presented no remedies to date.
“It has been nearly half a year so far, where we can see that only a ‘one-man task force’ was established, and the members were not even determined,” Gee said in a statement today.
He pointed out that while the federal government had recently distributed about RM4 million in aid that was approved by the previous administration to pig farmers in Melaka who had suffered losses from the African swine flu, yet Sabah farmers had received nothing.
Gee said Chan, as an MP representing Sabah and as a deputy minister, should fight for the welfare of Sabah pig farmers so as to ensure the state has food security.
Gee also highlighted that before Chinese New Year this year, the ministry approved pork imports to Sabah to meet market demand, but it was a failed attempt as it did not reduce the price of pork here.
“Pork imports were the worst policy. If farmers in Sabah do not receive assistance, they will lose market competitiveness and their farms may be shut down.
“In the end, Sabah can only rely on imports, including sources from the peninsula or Sarawak. The price of pork will be completely at the mercy of others,” he said.
Gee said not only are pig farmers facing increasing operational costs, but chicken and egg farmers are facing the same dilemma.
“The federal government must take long-term measures to solve this problem,” he said. – The Vibes, April 2, 2023
