Agriculture And Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee handing over the donated meat to Zoo Negara, October 26, 2021. — Picture by Shafwan Zaidon
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — The Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (Maqis) today donated 11 tonnes of confiscated frozen meat products worth RM106 million to Zoo Negara, the National Wildlife Rescue Centre (NWRC) in Perak, and four prisons.
Minister of Agriculture and Food Industries (Mafi) Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee said that the initiative came under the Mafi Prihatin Programme, and that Zoo Negara received the biggest donation of two tonnes to feed its wildlife.
“This effort is an ongoing one. These confiscated food items, which were seized for non-adherence to the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Act 2011 will be donated to agencies and departments who are in need of it.
“All the donations are a result of investigations into the importation of agricultural produce which had breached subsection 11 (1) and 15 (1) of the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Act 2011,” he said in a press conference at Zoo Negara today.
He said that the frozen meat donated to the four prisons — namely the Marang Prison in Terengganu, the Penor Prison in Pahang, and the Pengkalan Chepa and Machang Prisons in Kelantan — would be used for an aquaculture programme administered by the Prison Department.
Ronald added that since January 2021, a total of 146 tonnes of frozen goods worth RM2.33 million have been donated to various agencies and departments nationwide, with Kelantan being the state having the most confiscations of these products.
The Mafi Prihatin programme was implemented to assist target groups such as livestock breeders and farmers affected by the Covid-19 pandemic through in-kind donations such as daily necessities and food.