THE Penang DAP has defended Seri Kembangan assemblyman Wong Siew Ki after she called on the Selangor government to reconsider its approach to pig farming, including exploring modern and regulated systems.
Penang DAP chairman Steven Sim Chee Keong, who is also Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives and Bukit Mertajam MP, said Wong, like any assemblyman, is entitled to raise matters of public interest during debates on the Sultan of Selangor’s royal address at the state assembly sitting.
“The Opposition has politicised the issue by claiming that she showed disrespect to the Selangor Sultan. If any Opposition member disagrees with her views, they should raise it during the state assembly sitting instead of bringing up ‘3R’ issues (race, religion and royalty),” he said after visiting the Bayan Baru Market with Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and several other state leaders.
The Opposition had claimed that Wong’s proposal went against the Sultan’s decree that there shall be no further pig farming activities in Selangor.
Chow said the state also has encountered issues involving livestock, and has launched a centralised biogas facility in Kampung Valdor, South Seberang Perai District, as a long-term solution to environmental issues like to pig farming.
With the participation of the private sector, a pilot project had also been implemented in Ampang Jajar to convert waste into energy.
Other measures taken by the state government included licensing compliance and enforcing proper planning guidelines.
Chow added that briefings had also been conducted for Tasek Gelugor and Kepala Batas representatives, even though they are from the Opposition, to help them better understand the state’s initiatives and to relay the information to those submitting appeals.