BESUT: The government has given approval to 32 companies from three countries to import frozen whole chicken to Malaysia, to overcome the shortage of chicken supply, said Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ronald Kiandee.

He said the three countries involved are Thailand, China and Brazil, where importers from those countries had to comply with all the conditions set, including ensuring halal status.

"This move is to address the shortage of chicken supply in our country, and it will stop as soon as our supply stabilises again. This is a temporary measure made by MAFI (Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries) to ensure sufficient chicken supply here," he said.

He said this to reporters after attending the Fishermen Resettlement Project (PSN) groundbreaking ceremony in Benting Lintang here today, which was officiated by Menteri Besar, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar.

Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, was reported to have said in December that the government would import frozen chicken, to meet demand and enable people to get supplies at lower prices than local fresh chicken.

Following that, MAFI, in a statement, said that the approval to import frozen chicken is for a period of three months starting last December until this February.

Earlier, at the groundbreaking event, it was announced that a total of 50 fishermen's housing units with an area of 800 square feet, comprising three bedrooms and two bathrooms each, will be built.

The RM7.6 million project, a joint venture between the Terengganu government and the Malaysian Fisheries Development Authority, will commence this month, and is expected to be completed by July 2023.

-- BERNAMA