KUALA LUMPUR: Although there have been concerns over corruption and irregularities, Malaysia and China inked a new protocol on the sending of bird's nests to China on Wednesday. The new agreement will see new rules for the export of bird's nest from Malaysia, including examinations, quarantine and hygiene. Animal rights activists in Malaysia had called on the government to look closer at the policy and had asked for the export of bird's nests to China, citing abuse of wildlife in their procurement. “We had detailed reports of animal cruelty that the government seemed unwilling to deal with and still is not,” one Kuala Lumpur-based animal rights activist told Bikyamasr.com. Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Noh Omar signed the protocol on behalf of Malaysia while China was represented by its Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine Minister, Zhi Shuping at the signing ceremony on Wednesday. Following an outcry from Malaysian swiftlet farmers, the Chinese government decided to set aside the mandatory use of radio frequency identification device (RFID) tags on bird's nests exported by Malaysia from the protocol on September 14. Earlier this week, the opposition coalition was permitted to level a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission on what they argue is a monopoly in the export of “bird nest" to China. Omar said after receiving a memorandum from the chairman of the Federation of Malaysia Bird Nest Traders Association, Lim Lai Soon accompanied by DAP Sekinchan state assemblyman Ng Suee Lim, Tanjong Karang Parti Keadilan Rakyat chief Mohd Yahya Mat Sahri and Rembau PKR chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin. The memorandum alleged that there was a monopoly in the export of bird nest to China and the condition of using radio frequency identification (RFID) was a trick by certain ministry officers in cohort with a group of bird nest traders. The minister also chided the attempt of the three opposition leaders to politicize the issue when the government struggled in its negotiation with Beijing to obtain its export approval.
