Saturday April 9, 2011
By TAN SIN CHOW
sctan@thestar.com.my
GEORGE TOWN: Some 50 swiftlet farm operators held banners and shouted slogans at Komtar Walk here against the ongoing move to get them out of George Town.
One of the operators, Tan Siew Teng, in his 40s, maintained that they have not done anything wrong to warrant the crackdown.
He believed that the Unesco office could have been ‘ill-informed’ through certain poison-pen letters on the situation here.
He said the swiftlets fly into the heritage buildings on their own will, adding that this is only happening in South East Asian countries.
“By using the word ‘farming’, it gives the impression to the Westerners that we are conducting the trade on a large scale,” he said.
“But in fact, this is not farming. We merely attract the birds.”
“We just provide a place for them to roost and more importantly, we do not feed them,” he told reporters at the scene yesterday.
MPPP has divided swiftlet nest farms in the city into four categories and the enforcement unit has taken action against sites which have been illegally converted for the lucrative trade.
The National Council for Local Government had decided on Sept 2 last year that new swiftlet nest farms would not be allowed at heritage sites in Penang and Malacca while existing ones would have to clear out within three years.
State executive councillor Chow Kon Yeow had said the state would not wait until the grace period is over before taking action.
Another operator Khaw Chin Kok, 43, claimed that action had been taken against some operators even before their scheduled meeting with the state government on April 12.
Also present were Barisan Nasional coordinators Loh Poh Chye (Pengkalan Kota) and Loh Chye Teik (Komtar).
Loh said the swiftlets were already around when Penang obtained the Unesco status.
“I do not see why it is becoming an issue only now,” he said.
Chow, when contacted, stressed that the state has nothing personal against the operators.
“It is just that the inner city is not the right place to conduct this business,” he said
Ya.. blame CERTAIN DEPARTMENT FOR MISUSING THE TERM FARMING FOR THIS INDUSTRY.... when in actual fact we dont rear them or feed them at all... in previous years...ie in the early days people dont ask the birds to come and nest in our house but they have chosen themselve to come and stay. I remembered in the 1980's some old Chinese man shared theri houses in Nibong Tebal with these birds.. Nobody attracted them to stay.. only now when there is too many houses, then we have to compete with each other to attract the birds..
Hubungi Kami: 0134861990 Nordin atau e-mail kami nordi_jef@yahoo.com. Matlamat kami ialah membantu anda..KEJAYAAN ANDA KEJAYAAN KAMI JUA..
Comments