‘Pig farm ban in Selangor is a state government responsibility, don’t make the Palace your punching bag’ - MCA leader

SHAH ALAM – The ongoing controversy surrounding the pig farm ban in Selangor has taken a sharper political turn, with Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) Damansara division chairman Tan Gim Tuan urging parties to stop deflecting responsibility and making the Palace a ‘punching bag'.

His remarks come amid growing debate over the relocation and closure of pig farms in Selangor, including criticism and public statements from political figures that have, in his view, shifted focus towards the role of the Selangor Sultan rather than the state government.

Tan stressed that under the Selangor Constitution 1959, executive authority lies squarely with the State Government.

“The Menteri Besar and the Exco ultimately makes the call on pig farm relocation, license non-renewal and deadlines to vacate,” he said in a statement on Friday.

He pointed out that DAP, which holds four of the 10 Exco seats, should be accountable for the decision.

“DAP controls four of the 10 Exco seats, with senior party members in key roles. They own the decision and are losing public support on the issue.

“Instead of taking responsibility, DAP has played the political game so as to let the blame shift to the Sultan,” he said.

Tan further alleged that certain public statements and actions by political figures were crafted in a way that framed the monarchy as the primary decision-maker.

He argued that the recent public commentary by a senior former DAP lawmaker, alongside Seri Kembangan assemblyperson Wong Siew Ki’s legislative proposal, was an attempt to manipulate public perception.

He stated that these actions were designed to falsely frame the Palace as the executive antagonist behind the ban, while painting DAP as the sole defender of the industry.

Tan argued that if there were disagreements over the policy, the appropriate course of action would be to address it within the state government itself.

“If the senior ex-DAP MP is against the pig farm ban and abides by the rule of law, the right target is the Exco colleagues from his own Pakatan Harapan coalition, not the Palace,” he said.

Tan also questioned why proposals to preserve the pig farming industry were not directly raised within the executive council, where decisions are ultimately made.

“If Wong wanted to save the pig industry, she could have, under those circumstances, taken her proposal straight to her senior DAP colleagues in the Exco, the final decision-makers, whom I am sure were already aware of such a basic proposal,” he added.

Clarifying the role of the monarchy, Tan emphasised that recent remarks by the Sultan had been misinterpreted.

“The Sultan’s recent Rukun Negara statement was not at all about the legality of Royal Decrees.

“The Royal Council has clarified that the Sultan advises but does not interfere in administration. The Sultan in the past has also advised on floods and other issues,” he said.

He described the Sultan’s statement as a reminder to politicians to respect institutional boundaries.

“It was a reminder to politicians, particularly DAP, not to drag the monarchy into their political survival tactics,” he said.

He also said that political leaders should take ownership of policy decisions and maintain public trust.

“If DAP is unhappy with the pig farm ban, they should have the political courage to take full responsibility.

‘Blaming the Sultan undermines the Monarchy and erodes public trust in the process,” he said.

Wong had earlier proposed to the state assembly that Selangor transition to a modern, closed-system pig farming.

This followed a February royal decree from the Sultan, who withheld consent for any pig farming activities across the state's districts.