Residents of Two Selama Villages Object To New Poultry Farm Over Proximity, Fly Concerns
SELAMA, July 2 (Bernama) -- Residents of Kampung Batu 6 and Kampung Batu 7, Bukit Bertam, here are urging the authorities to reconsider the construction of a new closed-house poultry farm in their area, fearing it will worsen longstanding problems of flies, foul odours and pollution that they claim have affected their daily lives.
Kampung Batu 6 Village Development and Security Committee (JPKK) secretary Ramli Ahmad said residents lodged their objections after claiming they had never been informed of the proposed project until land-clearing works began around May.
"The residents subsequently submitted letters of objection to several agencies, including the Selama District Council (MDS), the Larut Member of Parliament, the Selama state assemblyman, the Perak Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) and the Menteri Besar's Office.
"We were never informed of this proposed project and only became aware of it after land-clearing works commenced and we were told the site would be developed into a closed-house poultry farm," he told Bernama here today.
Ramli said that during a meeting with the MDS, residents were informed that planning permission for the construction of four closed-house poultry sheds on Lot 1380, Kampung Batu 6, had been approved on March 14, 2025.
He said residents were also informed that Kampung Batu 6 and Kampung Batu 7 had been gazetted as a poultry farming zone under the Selama District Local Plan 2030, but claimed that this had never been communicated to them beforehand.
"The residents' objection is based on the project's close proximity to the residential area. During a site inspection on Feb 18, 2025, the DVS found that the proposed farm site is only 194.47 metres from nearby homes, which is below the minimum 300-metre buffer distance for closed-house poultry farms as stipulated in the Department of Environment (DOE) guidelines.
"This distance is too close, and we fear that problems involving flies, foul odours and pollution will worsen. We have long endured disturbances from the existing poultry farms and do not want the same problems to recur with the construction of another farm," he said.
He said residents would continue voicing their objections through the appropriate channels until their concerns receive due attention from the authorities.
Kampung Batu 6 resident representative Zurani Alias, 56, who has lived in the village since birth, said residents hoped the project would be cancelled to safeguard the health and well-being of the community.
"This area already has two poultry farms and a duck farm. If another poultry farm is built, we fear the fly and odour problems will become even more serious, especially during harvesting periods.
"Not only that, the operations of the existing nearby poultry farm already cause noise disturbances at night and affect residents' comfort. We do not want our hardship to worsen with the construction of another farm," he said.
Zurani also claimed that cleanliness standards at several existing farms had deteriorated due to a shortage of workers, resulting in an increasingly severe fly problem.
Meanwhile, Perak Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Sandrea Ng Shy Ching said the project application had undergone planning and technical assessment by the relevant agencies before approval was granted.
She said the state government remained committed to ensuring that the project is implemented responsibly and in compliance with all stipulated conditions, while taking into account the views of all stakeholders, particularly residents directly affected by the development.
According to her, following objections received in July 2025, several engagement sessions were held with residents and the project developer in August 2025, while additional requirements were also imposed to further assess the social impact and related mitigation measures.
"The state government takes residents' concerns seriously, particularly those relating to flies, environmental pollution and public health.
"Accordingly, the MDS will hold another engagement session tomorrow to allow all parties to express their views, obtain clarifications, and review the current status and latest developments of the project," she said, adding that the outcome of the session would be examined to determine the appropriate follow-up actions, including compliance with approval conditions, monitoring and mitigation measures to be implemented,” she said.
-- BERNAMA