VZCZCXRO3015
RR RUEHAST RUEHCHI RUEHDH RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHNH RUEHPB
RUEHPOD RUEHTM RUEHTRO
DE RUEHKL #0363/01 1330952
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130952Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY KUALA LUMPUR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2711
INFO RUEHPH/CDC ATLANTA GA
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 1717
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUALA LUMPUR 000363 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR CA/OCS/EAP 
STATE FOR M/PRI FOR RMORRITZ 
STATE FOR S/ES-O/CMS FOR EPARRA 
STATE FOR EAP/MTS FOR DBISCHOF 
STATE FOR OES/AIAG FOR AMBASSSADOR LOFTIS, DWINN AND 
CPATTERSON 
STATE FOR REO/BKK FOR HHOWARD 
STATE FOR OES/IHB, AAIT, MED 
STATE FOR EEB/TPP/MTAA/ABT ANN RYAN AND EAP/MTS 
STATE PASS TO USTR JANE DOHERTY 
HHS FOR OGHA STEIGER AND HICKEY 
CDC ATLANTA FOR CCID AND COGH 
USDA FOR APHIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON MY
SUBJECT: MALAYSIAN PORK IMPORT FREEZE 
 
REF: A. 2009 State 44254 
     ¶B. 2009 Kuala Lumpur 347 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  FAS Attache met with Ministry of Agriculture 
Deputy Secretary General Ibrahim Muhammad and Dr. Mohammad Azmie 
Zakaria of the Department of Veterinary Services to discuss the 
current import freeze on pork products and to deliver the ref A 
demarche.  They admitted that the decision to freeze pork imports 
was not based on a sound scientific rationale, but was implemented 
as a necessary and temporary step to allay fears in society and 
stave off calls for more drastic measures.  Indications from MOA are 
that the freeze is unlikely to end before a complete surveillance of 
all the local pig farms is finished, which will take at least one to 
two more weeks.  Post will continue to actively follow-up on this 
issue with the Malaysian Government.  END SUMMARY. 
 
Pork Freeze Background 
---------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Malaysia stopped issuing import permits for all pork 
products on April 29.  The Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-Based 
Industries (MOA) took this action despite continued public 
statements from Dr. Ismail Merican, Director-General of the Ministry 
of Health, and Dr. Abd Aziz Jamaluddin, Director-General of the 
Department of Veterinary Services (DVS), that "there was no risk of 
being infected with the influenza A(H1N1) virus by consuming pork 
and pork products if they were prepared and cooked properly." 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Post has protested the import freeze on multiple occasions 
emphasizing that WHO, FAO, and OIE have all stated that, "Pork and 
pork products, handled in accordance with good hygienic practices... 
will not be a source of infection."  FAS Attache and Econcouns 
delivered reftel A demarche to the Department of Veterinary 
Services, the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries, and 
the Ministry of International Trade and Industry on May 5 requesting 
a reconsideration of the current "freeze" on pork imports from the 
U.S.  Last year, the United States exported about $390,000 of pork 
products to Malaysia, with about $27,000 more so far in the first 
two months of 2009. 
 
GOM Responds to Post 
-------------------- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) FAS Attache met with Ibrahim Muhammad, Deputy Secretary 
General of MOA and Dr. Mohammad Azmie Zakaria, the MOA's Director of 
Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) Management and Biosecurity of the 
Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) on May 11 to discuss the 
non-issuance of import permits for pork and pork products due to 
H1NI fears.  Agricultural attaches from the Netherlands and Canadian 
Embassies joined the meeting. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The DVS official told FAS Attache that it had halted the 
issuance of pork import permits despite being aware of guidance from 
WHO, OIE, CDC, and FAO stating that properly cooked pork is safe to 
consume.  He said he was aware that there were no known risks of 
H1N1 infection from pork products, but indicated that a temporary 
freeze on imports was necessary to address the perceived anxiety 
from members of society.  For instance, the local Federation of 
Livestock Farmers' Association of Malaysia urged the GOM to stop all 
pork imports on April 28.  DVS has asked Post on several occasions 
to not use the term "ban" in referring to its actions, preferring 
terms with more temporary connotations like "freeze." 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Pork is primarily produced and consumed by Malaysia's 
ethnic Chinese minority.  Dr. Mohammad Azmie Zakaria attempted to 
justify the temporary freeze by arguing that some action had to be 
taken in order to appease anti-pork groups, which might push for 
even more drastic measures like the closure of all pig farms and 
culling. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) DVS has stepped up surveillance of domestic pig farms to 
 
KUALA LUMP 00000363  002 OF 002 
 
 
test for pigs possibly infected by the H1N1 virus.   Half of the 800 
farms in the country have been visited.  DVS indicated it would take 
at least one to two more weeks to finish the checks, and would begin 
issuing import permits again only after the public anxiety decreases 
and the Government can make an official announcement that no H1N1 
cases turned up during the pig farm surveillance. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Both FAS Attache and the representative from the 
Netherlands urged DVS to immediately remove the freeze and to base 
any future SPS decisions on scientific grounds.  In addition, it was 
pointed out that Malaysia had not notified the WTO or its trading 
partners about the ban.  DVS replied that politicians are under 
pressure from the community necessitating this temporary measure. 
DVS did not think it necessary to notify WTO of temporary measures. 
FAS Attache suggested that more WTO training for MOA officials might 
be in order and that political decisions banning imports without any 
scientific justification is a serious trade impediment contrary to 
WTO principles. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) We have asked for an official response to our May 5 
demarche to MOA (reftel B).  The MOA Deputy Secretary General said 
there was a high level meeting on May 13, to address the H1N1 issues 
and that he would try to convey our concerns and he agreed to 
provide a response after the meeting. 
 
KEITH