542 birds from abroad are quarantined in Penang
Maqis is responsible for carrying out sampling activities on birds brought in from foreign countries.
BAYAN LEPAS: A total of 542 birds of various types from abroad worth RM83,063 have been quarantined at the Quarantine Station of the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Service Department (Maqis) Batu Maung (SKBM) Penang throughout the year 2022 until April this year.
The director of Maqis Penang, Muhammad Ikram Abdul Talib said, all the birds are from Singapore, the Czech Republic and Papua New Guinea.
According to him, sampling of the birds will be carried out a day after the entry of the birds at the Maqis Quarantine Station.
“The purpose of sampling is to prevent quarantined birds from experiencing depression and stress due to a change of residence.
“Usually, a sample of the cloacal striations of quarantined birds will be taken for screening purposes for the Avian Influenza (AI) test and the Newcastle Disease (ND) test.
“If the test is found to be positive, then the bird will be referred to the Malaysian Veterinary Services Department for further action,” he said in a statement on Monday.
He said, the act of bringing in live diseased animals is an offense according to Section 14, Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Act 2011 [Act 728].
“If convicted, can be fined not exceeding RM100,000 or imprisoned for a period not exceeding six years or both under Section 14 of the same act.
“Maqis is always committed to carrying out tasks at the border gates of national waters to ensure that live animals brought into the country comply with aspects of human, animal, plant and fish health for the sake of national security,” he said.
According to Muhammad Ikram, currently, there are seven Government Animal Quarantine Stations that have been built, six in Peninsular Malaysia and one in the Federal Territory of Labuan.
He explained that each quarantine station has its own facility and capacity for animal quarantine matters.
“SKBM Penang is one of the quarantine centers built for the purpose of preventing the entry of animal and zoonotic diseases into the country through the importation of live animals, especially birds.
“Therefore, any poultry such as parrots and parrots brought into Malaysia must undergo quarantine procedures.
“The quarantine period for birds is determined based on the above risk analysis of the bird species and the relevant country of origin,” he said.
He added that during the quarantine period, Maqis was responsible for carrying out sampling activities on birds brought in from foreign countries.
