KOTA KINABALU: African Swine Fever (ASF), which hit Sabah two years ago, is subsiding but the state is still in the recovery phase, says Datuk Seri Dr Jeffrey Kitingan (pic).
The Deputy Chief Minister said veterinary officials were continuing to monitor the situation to ensure that there were no new cases detected in pig farms in the state.
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"We are still in the recovery period, we are continuing to monitor the situation," Kitingan told reporters after the Anzac Day ceremony at the North Borneo War Monument in Jalan Tugu here on Monday (April 24).
Kitingan, who is also state Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Industry Minister, said a total of 20 districts were affected by ASF and all the districts were in recovery as of Aug 31.
"We want to make sure no new cases are detected," he said.
He added that the ban on wild boar hunting also remained until Sabah was free from ASF, which was first detected in February 2021.
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"ASF cases have subsided, but it is still not safe to allow wild boar hunting," he said, adding that the authorities needed to confirm there were no further infections.
On marking the sacrifices of Australian and New Zealand soldiers who died in the liberation of Sabah during World War II, Kitingan said it was important to remember as they sacrificed their lives to defend Sabah's sovereignty for the future of its people.
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"Anzac Day serves as a reminder to us, especially the younger generation, of how important their sacrifice was to our country.
"We can emulate these war heroes in our struggle to strengthen the country in terms of politics, unity and development," said Kitingan, who laid a wreath on behalf of the state government.
