Massive disposal sparks ‘chicken wing rush’
SIBU: Villagers in and around Bukit Aup rushed off to a site at Quarry Road yesterday to dig out chicken wings, said to have been dumped there last Friday.
One of them told The Borneo Post here around noon that he received the news from his friends.
“I came here because my friends told me about it. Yes, there are chicken wings here – some have just started to thaw out,” he said.
The company purported to have dumped the chicken wings could not be contacted for details.
Photos obtained via social media show that those throwing away the poultry parts appear to be workers of that company. There is also a rumour claiming that Customs Department personnel were the ones who disposed of the chicken wings.
However, the department has clarified that it has nothing to do with the matter.
Another villager, who was willing to speak on condition of anonymity, claimed to have seen a few container trucks arriving at the site last Friday.
He believed the chicken wings were imported from New Zealand. Moreover, it is claimed that there were individuals going door to door around Kampung Jeriah here recently, selling chicken wings at RM7 per kilogramme.
This has been circulating on social media, with no knowledge as to where the chicken wings came from.
In his remarks, the Malaysian Medical Association Sibu advisor Dr Hu Chang Hock stressed that it was better for the villagers to stay away from the dumping site in that the chicken wings could have been buried for certain reasons such as contamination.
A poultry trader also advised the public against consuming the buried chicken parts, adding that the proper procedure of burying such food would be to spray a certain chemical solution on it before burying.
“If the chemical had been sprayed on it (chicken wings), it is unsafe for consumption,” he said on condition of anonymity.
He also did not dismiss the notion that chicken wings unearthed from the site could very well end up in the market. “Some villagers may sell them to vendors.”
Meanwhile, Sibu Resident Hii Chang Kee has instructed Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) officers to check on the situation.
“We have mobilised teams from the relevant authorities to investigate and take necessary measures to prevent any untoward outcome. Those who have the chicken wings with them are strongly advised against consuming them for health reasons.”
Within three hours after the news was posted on Borneo Post Online, it was shared 4,600 times via Facebook, with 26 per cent of viewers marking the story as an ‘ interesting’ read while 16 per cent expressed ‘sadness’.
We have mobilised teams from the relevant authorities to investigate and take necessary measures to prevent any untoward outcome. Those who have the chicken wings with them are strongly advised against consuming them for health reasons. Hii Chang Kee, Sibu Resident