KUCHING: Sarawak Livestock Breeders Association is calling for more stringent control and enforcement on the import of animals and animal products to Sarawak.
Their secretary Dr Ng Siew Thiam said any distributor of animal products wanting to import such products must acquire a permit from the Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) Sarawak.
He said this in view of the many types of fresh milk available in the local market.
Dr Ng Siew Thiam
He believed that the distributors did not have the permit to import bottled fresh milk to Sarawak, but due to the lack of enforcement, such distribution was rampant.
“DVS did not take action, and hence there is no directive to remove the fresh milk product from the shelves.
“When fresh milk is brought into Sarawak, they need to go through the Customs Deparetment. But if Customs did not inform the DVS and just let them through, DVS wouldn’t know,” he told a press conference here yesterday.
Ng also called upon the DVS to practise and uphold international food standard, international veterinary level and quarantine when it comes to the export of animals and animal products.
Presently, he said Sarawak is exporting pork and chicken to Singapore.
He added that officials from the Singaporean government had come to Sarawak for testing purposes including quarantine and movement control before Sarawak could export the animal products to Singapore.
“We have met all the requirements, just that enforcement is very lacking. The government must make sure to control and enforce.
“Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah has said that we want to be a food exporter. I think enforcement must be in place first before we can even achieve that.”
Tsai Kian Shin
The association chairman Tsai Kian Shin, meanwhile, said they had written to DVS, tipping them off about some illegal import of chicken parts into Sarawak.
The letter was sent to the department in August last year, he said, adding that it (illegal import of chicken parts situation) had since improved.
Tsai said the association had a dialogue session with DVS Sarawak on Jan 15 to call for stricter control on import of animal products.
Its director Dr Adrian Susin Ambud was also present at the dialogue.
“DVS Sarawak must impose tighter control on import of animal products to prevent any disease from being brought to Sarawak because we want to remain as a disease-free zone,” said Tsai.
He added they had no problem working with the department in the fight against the illegal import of animal product, and to keep deadly diseases such as African Swine Flu (ASF) at bay.
“We are a responsible association, We only want to breed and produce good poultry products for our consumers,” he added.
So far 175 poultry-related companies across Sarawak are members of the association.