SIX tonnes of chicken and an additional 12 containers’ worth, are bound for the incinerator after they were recently seized by Sabah authorities . 

Veterinary Services and Animal Industry Department director Yeo Boon Keat said samples had been taken from the seized consignment in Tawau and would be disposed off when possible.

“Normally, poultry which origins we are uncertain of will be disposed of.  If the amount is large, we will use the incinerator.  Otherwise, the items will be buried,” he told The Malaysian Insight. 

“We don’t recommend such items  (of indeterminate origin) for consumption.

Local media reported today that six tonnes of chicken without halal certification sold in two supermarkets in Tawau were confiscated by the Sabah Islamic Affairs Department.

The chicken, valued at RM34,000, is said to be imported from the United States and smuggled into the state via Sarawak.

It is learnt that 12 containers more of chicken were seized at Sepanggar Port in Kota Kinabalu.

The poultry was declared as fruits and vegetables and packed with other items in the containers in a shipment from Sarawak. 

Consumer Affairs Protection of Sabah (CAPS) has questioned the wisdom of throwing away food that was still edible.

“If the items are safe for consumption, they should be sold to non-Muslims. The agencies involved should consider the losses incurred by the importer and the waste of food when it could be consumed by non-Muslims,” said CAPS business practice bureau member, Donny Yap. 

Sabah Customs Department declined to comment.

On April 6, the Sarawak Customs Department retrieved frozen chickens that had been buried in Jalan Teluk Engkalat, near Bukit Aup, in Sibu, and disposed of the birds in the Kemuyang landfill, after local residents began digging for the chickens to eat. – June 8, 2017.