KUALA LUMPUR – Former DAP leader Ronnie Liu has claimed that the ongoing pig farming controversy in Selangor could have been managed more effectively if MCA had been involved, arguing that the issue escalated because of poor handling by the state government.
Speaking on an upcoming episode of the Scoop Insight podcast, Liu repeatedly criticised the state administration, saying pig farmers were not treated fairly and that proper procedures were not followed before the decision was made to shut down large-scale pig farming operations in Tanjong Sepat.
Asked whether he believed MCA would have handled the controversy better than DAP, Liu agreed that the former would have resolved the matter tactfully in order to reach an amicable solution to the problems faced by the pig farmers in the state.
“I think it’s a mishandling and mismanagement on the part of the state government,” he said during the podcast hosted by News Editor Azim Idris and Editor-in-Chief Terence Fernandez.
Liu argued that farmers were ordered to cease operations without being offered sufficient alternatives, compensation arrangements or relocation plans.
“The farmers were forced to vacate without compensation, without a plan B or plan C or plan D. Nobody mentioned about you evacuating all your pigs. What kind of compensation (was offered)?…(and) when are you going to get it? Nobody talked about that,” he said.
His previous criticism of Selangor’s decision to end large-scale pig farming sparked strong reactions after some interpreted his remarks as questioning the authority of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.
The Sultan subsequently stressed that the prohibition was necessary to protect public health and the environment, while critics accused Liu of being disrespectful towards the monarchy.
However, Liu maintained that the farmers’ proposed legal challenge would focus on the government’s actions rather than the palace.
“Nobody blames the Sultan. We want the government to settle the problem,” he said.
The former Sungai Pelek assemblyman suggested that the dispute could have been resolved through negotiations and a less confrontational approach before it reached its current stage.
Asked whether MCA would have managed the matter differently, Liu referred to comments made by MCA leaders during the controversy.
“(I would tell) DAP, ‘don’t get angry with me’. If it’s MCA, they will probably do that (resolve the pig farming matter amicably),” he said.
He added: “That’s why the MCA people told me, ‘Ronnie Liu, say what you like but under us (MCA), the pig farming (activities would) continue. You guys (PH) are only three years (in) government…(administering) Putrajaya, (and) this happened.”
Liu acknowledged that such remarks were uncomfortable for him as a former senior DAP leader.
“I’m a former leader of DAP. Yes. I don’t feel very well. I don’t feel very happy to face MCA fellow(s) telling me that,” he said.
Throughout the discussion, Liu insisted that multiple options, including relocation and industry modernisation, were available but were not seriously explored by the authorities.
He cited previous disputes involving durian farmers in Pahang, where legal proceedings eventually led to negotiated settlements, suggesting a similar approach could still be considered for affected pig farmers.
For Liu, responsibility for the dispute rests with both the state and federal administrations.
“All the fault lies in the state governments and the federal government,” he said.
The controversy intensified after the Selangor government decided to end large-scale pig farming operations in the state, prompting affected farmers to consider legal action.
In an earlier statement issued on April 24, 2026, Liu questioned what he described as the silence of senior DAP leaders following the Sultan of Selangor’s decree on the relocation and restructuring of the pig farming industry.
“The questions many people now want to ask are very simple: why do the top DAP leaders not dare to formally seek an audience with the Sultan of Selangor? Why do they not dare to formally negotiate with the Menteri Besar of Selangor? Why do they not bring this matter into the Cabinet and press the prime minister and the Federal Government to address it directly?” he said.
His remarks followed the Selangor government’s announcement that no new pig farming licences would be issued and that existing farm sites in Tanjong Sepat would be cleared. The move was carried out in line with the Sultan’s decree that pig farming should no longer be conducted in any district in Selangor.
Liu argued that the lack of visible intervention by senior political leaders was increasingly difficult to justify given the impact on farmers, workers and businesses connected to the industry.
Despite continued criticism from affected parties, the enforcement exercise appears to be approaching completion.
According to reports, Selangor Infrastructure and Agriculture Exco Datuk Izham Hashim said about 11,000 pigs remain across roughly 30 farms still operating in Tanjong Sepat.
He said the remaining livestock have yet to reach a suitable age and weight for slaughter or disposal, delaying the final phase of the closure process ordered in February. – June 7,2026