Eat Chicken Campaign To Be Launched To Restore Public Confidence

KUALA LUMPUR, March 1 (Bernama) -- The Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Ministry will launch a chicken-eating campaign to restore public confidence after the detection of the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus in Setapak.
Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said his ministry decided to launch the campaign following feedback from chicken breeders and traders that sales have dipped to between 30 and 40 per cent due to the bird flu scare.
"The drop in sales may be due to the people's fear to eat chicken but we have provided information that fried chicken or cooked at 70 degree celsius is safe for consumption because all the germs or virus will be destroyed at that temperature," he told reporters after inspecting preparations for the launch of the national-level Green Book campaign in Hulu Langat, Wednesday.
Muhyiddin said the awareness campaign was important to revive the poultry breeding and selling industry and to instil confidence among the people to eat chicken.
"Probably, from the psychological aspect, the people may not eat chicken in the coming one or two weeks, but the chickens sold at markets actually come from poultry farms unaffected by the bird flu," he said.
On the decision by the Agriculture Ministers of Sabah and Sarawak to ban chicken imports from Peninsular Malaysia, Muhyiddin said he would meet them as soon as possible to persuade them to reconsider their decision.
"Singapore did not totally ban chicken imports from Malaysia, it only suspended entry of chickens from the bird flu-infected area.
"How Sabah and Sarawak, which are part of Malaysia, impose a total ban?" he said.
Meanwhile, the cabinet Wednesday agreed to ban slaughtering of chicken at wet markets located within a kilometre radius from the bird flu-affected area.
He said chicken traders could continue to sell processed chicken at the markets.
The Kuala Lumpur City Hall would help the traders find a suitable site to be turned into a slaughter centre, he said.
Federal Territories Minister Datuk Zulhasnan Rafique had been informed of the matter and to work with City Hall to find suitable slaughter sites, he added.