Selangor government cancels the Bukit Tagar pig farm project following public protest and a suggestion from the Prime Minister, seeking a new location
SHAH ALAM: The Selangor state government has temporarily cancelled the proposed pig farming project in Bukit Tagar following public concern and protest.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the decision was made while a new location is sought and discussions are held with farm operators to address misunderstandings.
“The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim contacted me by phone while I was abroad. The issue has gone beyond the actual facts, so we are postponing and cancelling it temporarily until we find an alternative site or method,” he told reporters after delivering the 2026 New Year Mandate at the Dewan Raja Muda Musa here.
Amirudin said the State Executive Council (MMKN) had also directed state Infrastructure and Agriculture Exco Datuk Izham Hashim to look for an alternative area for the project.
He stated the issue was still at an early stage and not finalised as no working paper or official approval had been submitted.
Public perception that the project would proceed immediately caused confusion and prompted the state government to take a more cautious approach.
“This issue became premature. Community engagement, Social Impact Assessment (SIA) and other processes should have been done first. We acknowledge there may have been an announcement that preceded the proper process,” he said.
He denied cynical claims that the Bukit Tagar project would be developed like a “pig hotel,” emphasising the state government’s priority is to safeguard all parties’ interests fairly.
Amirudin added the state government does not plan to develop a large-scale project as portrayed by some parties.
“It is not mega, not large-scale. The estimate is maybe about 20 to 30 per cent (of the requirement) only. The ‘mega’ claim is excessive,” he said.
He added the main goal is to reorganise scattered pig farms to control hygiene and environmental issues.
On 10 Jan, the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, expressed regret and disagreement with the state government’s plan to allow pig farming operations in Tanjong Sepat, Kuala Langat, starting this year, before moving to Bukit Tagar in 2030.
Last Friday, the Prime Minister suggested that the centralised pig farm project in Bukit Tagar, which caused unease among the local community, be cancelled first or moved to a better new area.
