M'sian MP rejects call to shut down pig farms, says Sarawak earned S$62 million exporting pigs to S'pore in 2024

A Malaysian Member of Parliament (MP) has suggested that the country consider shutting down pig farms nationwide and importing pork instead, citing Singapore as an example.

However, another Malaysian MP pointed out one rather important detail: Singapore itself imports live pigs from Malaysia.

The exchange took place in Malaysia's Dewan Rakyat, following a proposal by Tasek Gelugor (Penang) MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan on Oct. 19.

Suggested Malaysia follow Singapore's example

According to Malay Mail, Wan Saiful urged the Malaysian government to consider closing pig farms nationwide and importing pork to meet domestic demand.

He argued that the proposal should be considered from the perspective of environmental pollution, public welfare and sustainability, rather than race or religion.

He said:

"Personally, I feel it would not be excessive for me to propose that the federal government consider whether it is appropriate for Malaysia to continue having large pig farms when pork supplies can be obtained through imports, as done in Singapore."

"In fact, imported pork may be cheaper than that farmed in Malaysia," he added.

Wan Saiful also suggested that relying on imports could be a safer approach, as pig farms were likely to face opposition from nearby residents regardless of their location.

The proposal was not the first of its kind.

According to Focus Malaysia, Sabak Bernam (Selangor) MP Kalam Salan had made a similar suggestion in January 2026.

But Singapore imports pigs from Sarawak

Responding to Wan Saiful's proposal, Raub (Pahang) MP Chow Yu Hui questioned the logic of closing pig farms in Malaysia when Singapore imports live pigs from Sarawak.

According to Malaysiakini, Chow cited figures from the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department showing that the state exported 120,000 live pigs to Singapore in 2024.

The exports generated RM197.6 million (approximately S$61.96 million) in revenue.

He added that Sarawak exported around 2,500 live pigs to Singapore every week in 2025.

According to Chow, exports of live pigs from Sarawak to Singapore have generated RM742.5 million (approximately S$232.83 million) since 2000.

Chow questioned what would happen to Singapore's supply if Malaysian pig farms were shut down.

"If we were to close down all pig farms in Malaysia, including those in Sarawak, from where else would Singapore be able to import live pigs?" he asked.

Concerns over reliance on imported pork

The proposal also drew criticism from Bekok (Johor) assemblyperson Tan Chong, who warned that shutting down pig farms could increase Malaysia's reliance on imported pork.

According to Malaysiakini, Tan said Malaysia's pork self-sufficiency rate was approximately 67.8 per cent, with domestic production reaching 115,284 tonnes in 2025.

He argued that reducing local production could leave Malaysia more vulnerable to overseas supply disruptions, animal disease outbreaks and export restrictions.

Tan also maintained that pollution concerns should be addressed through enforcement against individual farms rather than shutting down the entire industry.