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Thursday, July 10, 2008

Dato Seri Ong Ka Chuan: Birdhouses only allowed in shophouses

Taken from The Star and can be located at: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/11/parliament/21796842&sec=parliament


SWALLOWS are only allowed to be reared in commercial lots or shop houses, said Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan.

He told Loke Siew Fook (DAP – Rasah) that based on the guidelines issued, such bird-rearing was not allowed in housing estates.

Ong said he would also request all local councils to tighten enforcement on birdhouses, a new booming industry, to check on the licenses of the operators.

Earlier, he told Datuk Halimah Mohd Sadique (BN – Tenggara) that the type of swallows reared in the country did not transmit diseases, based on a study conducted by Dr Fadzilah Aini Abdul Kadir from the Department of Veterinary Services.


A very supportive gesture from a full Minister of Housing and Local Government.

I only wish he understand that not many of us can get those operating license if the Local Authorities do not have any instructions or guidelines to follow.

I can understand the Local Authorities but someone in the Ministry should provide the proper instruction so that we can get our license approved.

It will be a great loss if the Government should play little part in this booming trade. We should be encouraged and not slap with summon that will only create unfairness as an investor.

I was talking to some friend last night from Kelantan. His friend was issued a summon of RM25, 000 for converting his shop house to swiftlet farm. The irony was that he has submitted all the necessary application documents for license processing but this was what he received.

What a mess.....

Recently in another major town in Peninsular Malaysia, 58 swiftlet premises were given a 7 days notice to stop their activities. The only reason made known was that there was a complaint by a resident about those twittering noise. What the local council did was to send those notices without making any attempt to check how true those noises are disturbing the neighbors and have a check on the noise decibels emitted. Dr. Reduan was not consulted for appropriate advice.

In another town, which I started my new BH, the local authority have a better method of operation.

If there is a new BH comer in their town the local council will contact the President of Swiftlet owners association to meet them. The President will make his point clear on various requirements and if the new owner is stubborn and refuse to follow, the matter will be passed back to the local council to act.

I think this is something all local council should follow. Get those Presidents of Birdhouse Owner association to meet and ask them to work along side the council. Give the President proper guidelines and let him do his work to ensure that the business does not mess up the local.



In Tanjung Malim, the President of the Local Council was more supportive. I remember he officiated the recent GAHP Behrang Seminar. He did his own due diligent on swiftlet farming and what he came out with was awesome. In his speech he touched on the cost of processed Birdnest in China. They can go as high as RM25, 000 a kilo.

He encourages investors to come to Tanjung Malim and see him. He will personally encourage them to make the business successful. If you need any land he will find for you.

Do you know why? All in all he knows that this business is a big potential and more often then not the farmer are well off. When they are well off they will pay his cukai pintu on time thus his local authority coffer is always healthy......

Why doesn’t the rest of the Ketua Pengarah of all Local Councils adopt the same attitude?

Don't look at me I just put my idea forward and if they should read this it might work....

If not, damn it, someone have to tap their back and ask them to buck up!!!

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