WHEREAS, based on the final report submitted by Dr. Hawari Bin Hussein, Director General, Department of Veterinary Service, Ministry of Agriculture, to the Office International des Epizooties (OIE) last 3 January, 2005, it has completely eradicated the H5N1 subtype of avian influenza in Malaysia;

WHEREAS, a stamping-out policy was adopted to eradicate the HPAI infection;

WHEREAS, all chickens, ducks and birds within a 1 km-radius around clinical outbreaks and virus infection foci were culled;

WHEREAS, the premises and surrounding areas were cleaned and disinfected;

WHEREAS, the last culling and disinfection were completed on November 22, 2004;

WHEREAS, no new clinical or infection cases have been detected since that date;

WHEREAS, based on the evaluation of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the risk of contamination from importing poultry and poultry products from Malaysia is negligible;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DOMINGO F. PANGANIBAN, Secretary of Agriculture, by the powers vested in me by law, do hereby lift the temporary ban on the importation of domestic and wild birds and their products including poultry meat, day old chicks, eggs and semen originating from Malaysia.

All import transactions of the above products shall be in accordance with the existing rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry and National Meat Inspection Commission (DA-BAI-NMIC).

All orders, rules and regulations or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with the provisions of this order, are hereby repealed or amended accordingly.

This ORDER shall take effect immediately.

Adopted: 18 July 2005

(SGD.) DOMINGO F. PANGANIBAN
Secretary