CAP: Halt the import of Live Cattle from Thailand

The Consumers Association of Penang calls on the Department of Veterinary Services Malaysia (DVS) to immediately stop the import of live cattle from Thailand.

The call is made in response to a local media report from Thailand that there is an outbreak of the lumpy skin disease among cattle pens in the country. According to the report more than 6,700 cows and buffaloes in 35 provinces in Thailand had been affected.

Lumpy skin disease is an infectious disease in cattle and buffalos caused by a virus. The disease is characterised by fever, enlarged superficial lymph nodes and multiple nodules on the skin and mucous membranes.

Even though the disease does not affect humans, lumpy skin disease is one of the significant reasons for banning meat export in Europe and the United States of America. The disease causes severe production loss to the dairy and beef farms. The farmer will suffer heavy losses due to management and treatment costs.

As Malaysians will be celebrating Eid al-Adha* in July, live animals such as cattle and buffaloes will be imported into the country for this Islamic festival.

As Thailand is our neighboring country the disease can be easily transmitted as is spread through mosquitoes, flies and ticks.

In view of this, CAP calls on the Department of Veterinary Services Malaysia (DVS) to immediately:

• Stop the import of live cattle and buffaloes from Thailand
• Conduct investigation to make sure that the disease had not affected our local cattle and buffaloes.

• Eid al-Adha is an Islamic festival to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim (also known as Abraham) to follow Allah’s (God’s) command to sacrifice his son. Muslims around the world observe this event which means the “Feast of the Sacrifice”. Also known as Hari Raya Haji or Hari Raya Qurban in Malaysia, Aidiladha is one of the most important events in the Islamic calendar. It honours the willingness of Prophet Ibrahim to sacrifice his son, Ismail, as an act of obedience to Allah’s command – and Allah’s mercy in putting a ram in Ismail’s place at the last moment, according to Islamic traditions. “Muslims believe that the very moment Ibrahim raised the knife, God told him to stop, that he had passed the test and to replace Ismail with a sacrificial ram.” Muslims will sacrifice cows, goats, lambs, among other animals in remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s devotion to Allah and, after that, distribute the meat to family and neighbours as well as the needy.

Press Statement, 1^st June 2021