Strict quarantine clears 27,000 cattle from Thailand for Aidiladha, says quarantine department
PADANG BESAR, May 23 — More than 27,000 cattle have been imported to meet the supply for the upcoming Aidiladha celebration. These livestock have undergone strict screening and quarantine procedures by the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (Maqis).
Maqis deputy director-general Dr Azhari Sharidan Abu Bakar said the department guarantees that all the cattle, most of which come from Thailand, are free from diseases and safe to be sold and slaughtered for the Qurban ritual.
He said they have been monitored during a 14-day quarantine period for any signs of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD).
“These two are among the main diseases we monitor throughout the quarantine,” he told Bernama at the Maqis Animal Quarantine Station in Padang Besar.
Dr Azhari Sharidan also noted that the department has recorded the import of approximately 1,000 buffaloes so far, in preparation for the upcoming Hari Raya Haji celebrations.
Meanwhile, he stressed that all livestock must pass Maqis screening to control animal diseases and protect public health and safety, and urged importers to comply strictly with regulations.
He explained that some importers house their cattle in private quarantine premises approved by Maqis rather than at government stations, though Maqis officers regularly monitor the livestock.
If government quarantine stations are full, cattle may be quarantined in private premises or even at the importer’s own location, but that requires prior application to Maqis for approval, as long as all procedures and conditions are met.
He admitted that non-compliance does occur, particularly when cattle are removed and sold before completing the full fourteen-day quarantine period.
Maqis recorded one such case last year and two the year before, and the department can take action under the Quarantine and Inspection Services Act 2011.
Finally, he noted that livestock enter the country through three Immigration, Customs, Quarantine, and Security Complexes, namely Padang Besar ICQS, Bukit Kayu Hitam ICQS, Kedah, and Rantau Panjang ICQS, Kelantan.
