Penang Umno Youth is calling on the state government to consider relocating pig farms in Kampung Selamat as a preventive move to curb infectious diseases such as Japanese encephalitis (JE).

Its vice chief Jasmin Nordin said pig farms should be far from housing estates and required regular inspection of premises cleanliness to ensure they operate according to standards set by the authorities.

"The community of Kampung Selamat have long suffered odour pollution from the farms. Such farms should be at least two kilometres from schools and residential areas.

"While it is true the latest blood test on samples was negative but must we wait for more to be infected (JE) to start taking action," he told reporters after visiting the pediatric ward at Penang Hospital here today.

He also called on the Veterinary Services Department to extend the radius of inspection of pig blood samples to all 78 farms compared to 20 farms taken in the last test.

Yesterday, Veterinary Services Department director-general Dr Azmie Zakaria, in a statement, said all 181 blood samples from 20 pig farms in Kampung Selamat were found negative of JE.

The Seberang Perai Municipality Council (MPSP) yesterday issued compounds on 18 pig farms inspected in Kampung Selamat involving 90,000 animals for various waste management offences.

Jasmin said MPSP's action showed the pig farms had cleanliness problems and more drastic actions such as relocating their operation to other places should be taken.

Earlier state Umno Youth members from Tanjong, Jelutong, Kepala Batas, Bayan Baru and Bukit Gelugor branches presented 130 hampers in conjunction with Ramadan to children at the hospital's ward.

Also being treated at the hospital was a two-year-and-five-month old girl, Norain Nasuha Shukri, who was the second JE virus victim, after Muhammad Ammar Muqrish Zulkiffli, 12, who is being treated at a private hospital here.

The third case involved an 18-year-old man from Lorong Seratus Tahun here and he is recovering.

- Bernama