Pig farmers affected by the 1999 Nipah outbreak threatened to highlight their plight at the Sarawak state election campaign trails if the government refuses to distribute the balance of the JE Trust Fund to them.

About 40 farmers spoke at a press conference today, lamenting that they are still suffering losses due to the outbreak which caused a huge dent in the industry, notwithstanding the deaths of more than 100 people.

They urged the government to distribute all monies collected at the height of the outbreak to all the affected farmers and victims rather than keeping some as a contingency for possible outbreaks in the future.

Last year, Agriculture Minister Effendi Norwawi and Health Minister Chua Jui Meng publicly declared that any balance from the government JE fund would be distributed equally among the pig farmers.

However, Abu Bakar Taib, parliamentary secretary to the Agriculture Ministry, recently said that the government would keep the balance, amounting to some RM18 million, for compensation purposes if a dangerous outbreak like the Nipah virus were to occur in the future.

Public donation to the fund amounted to RM155,745,961.84, of which RM136,181,937 has been given to the pig farmers as of July 10 this year.

From the fund, the government doled out RM120 for the first 2,000 pigs culled and RM85 for subsequent ones although the farmers had demanded for a flat rate of RM200 per pig.

Meanwhile, payments amounting to RM1,541,040 for nine people in Negeri Sembilan and 10 in Selangor are still being processed.

DAP secretary-general Kerk Kim Hock, who was at today's conference, accused the government of going back on its word in announcing its intention to keep the balance in the fund.

Speaking on the behalf of the farmers, Kerk also said that the issue was relevant to the Sarawak election as it showed that the government was making an empty promise.

'Every single sen'

"Abu Bakar said that it was the government's opinion that assistance given to the pig farmers was more than sufficient to overcome their hardship," said Kerk, who is also Kota Melaka member of parliament.

Kerk said the government JE Trust Fund, like the MCA JE Humanitarian Fund, was set up to collect donations to assist the pig farmers who had been affected by the Nipah outbreak.

"Every single sen came from the public. The government has no reason to keep the balance of the fund," he said.

One of the former pig farmers, Lay Kee Tee, 46, who was infected with the Nipah virus, felt that the government did not do much to help the victims.

"I did not see the government's assistance. Maybe the government did help. I don't know," he said.

Master plan

According to him, those affected by the Nipah virus are still waiting for assistance from the welfare department.

"I hope the government would at least distribute the remaining amount to alleviate the hardship of the pig farmers," he said.

Another victim, S Raman, 40, complained that the government did not compensate him fairly for the pigs culled.

The small-time farmer from Bukit Pelanduk said he could not accept the compensation of RM2,400 offered to him as he used to have about 20 adult pigs with 192 piglets in his farm.

"I have 212 pigs but the government is only compensating me for 20 pigs," said Raman.

Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai, who was also present, called upon the government to draw up a master plan for the pig-farming industry in Negeri Sembilan.

According to him, the government must understand the sorrows of the pig farmers, the families of the deceased and those still stricken by the Nipah virus.

"It's the basic responsibility of the government to resolve the plight of the pig farmers. We'll see the pig farmers in Sarawak if the government does not resolve this issue," Tan added.

The pig farmers will be meeting with representatives from Chinese associations at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow to lobby for support.