What's happening ????????????

Now, you see it, now you don't ? ???????????

So, are we going to "Out of the frying pan into the fire"

Trying to prevent corrupted Govt but end up facing the firing squad of the opposition. But really, some of the town's BHs aren't helping at all, only Yesterday, I complained to the secretary of our Association that afew of the BHs is blasting fire crackers but instead of Bang Bang Bang; it's bird sound!!!!!!! at 24 hrs.

IF I am the Govt., I will only allow BHs to stay @ Towns provided no sound at all (External or internal) and anyone not following the order will has his BH demolished.........This way, we can stay, the authority receive no complaint and our neighbours will be happier, too.

No point providing a standard @ town for the loudness of the sound as ppl in the trade will just follow guideline for a week or month and will start their blasting of sound as if there is no tomorrow.

So, better not going to VOTE, kerana sini Mati, sana Mati juga.....at least, you shall be at peace with yourself as you didn't elect the Govt of the Day.

All in power are the same.........read the "ANIMAL FARM" and we shall have a clearer picture.

Ask yourself, was A any better than the N when M was in power and I can assured you that compare to A, N seem to be an Angel and A was only second to M as the most corrupted ppl during M reign.

So, the best thing to do is to ensure that you can have food on the table for at least your generation but if the opposition want us out, then they have declare war on us and we cannot and should not allow this to happen and if we do, no matter what Malaysia will become, we are already dead; many gone bankrupt and ppl like me still survive but can no longer live like today. Are we willing to sacrifice so that other may have a change in the GOVT even for a 5 years terms unless we are assured that we will be still around to stand up, BHs still there and vote again.

Before you vote, ensure that your BHs@ town are safe by getting assurance from the party even if you need to compromised to ensure PEACE for all for example, no having any sound for the town BHs.

Sorry, above are only Swiftlets' politic as we are all affected by the incoming election......

May I present my case,

I was there years ago, and it's wasn't corruption that we allowed to build our BHs at towns and the Federal Govt. did gave us their blessing to do it and now what the BN allow, the opposition refused. Only when enough is enough did I mentioned here @ this forum that the authorities has frozen the building of BH @ towns but many didn't agreed and started to build more and more BHs @ town.

Many of the core Birds towns have over 50% buildings in the buz and I once jokingly told a YB that it better to move the town to another location and make the present one into a Swiftlets Sanctuary because it shall be more economically to do so as most of the rest unused Buildings can be sold at twice the market price and can buy 2 buildings in the new township. How beautiful and organised the new township will be with proper infrastructure and planing; there will be no congestion as most of the building @ present BH towns are old and only swiftlets like them.

If then, the GOVT. didn't allow, I won't be building my BHs at town in the first place but even PM gave us the blessing but most of the local Authorities later objected due to sound complaint but this can be settle. But with one stroke of the pen, billions of ringgit will be wasted and tens of years in building the Buz will be destroyed and thousands of ppls will lose their earnings. All buildings @ town will depreciated very rapidly.


Above are my opinion and view on the matter discussed. Hopefully, all are for discussion and no offence intended.

This post has been edited by West Wing: Jan 31 2012, 02:22 PM

As far as I know, the only strongest supporter of the industry is PM personally and I have heard from a Pahang Exo. that during one meeting long ago, many ECO members objected to the BHs @ town but all quite after PM openly supported the BHs @ towns and so the same happened at Seremban workshop if any who have been there will remembered that the PM representative went on stage after the Local Authorities representatives refused to allow the BHs to stay and only allow BH for a maximum period of 3 years by telling all there that the PM asked for was not whether or not BHs can stay @ town but rather how to allow BHs to maintain @ town.

So, like I say, in the opposition alliance, only PAS can be consider BH friendly because of the wrong reason and that's money and PAS need alot of cash to support their cause for expansion. Anything that bring in money to their coffer will have their support and for that, Kelantan BH owners pay very expensive lessen for the BHs.

So, I am confidently say that under PAS, you will be safe as long you can afford to pay and also under the present PM unless he changes his mind and also BHs are State matter and that's why till today, not much development in it as most Local Authorities are against it. Most of the State Authorities want the BHs to move as they have hidden interest in the form of JV with rich men to develop some forms of birds parks......so, the present EBN price is also a blessing in disguise as these powerful wealthy men are no longer interested in building hundreds of BHs as there are no buyers out there.

From the word of the officer in a Bank.........Land only no worth much value and it's don't depend on how much you buy but how much we value your land. Why did he said this; it's because I bough a land for half a million and they only offer 80K loan only. Then, what about loan for building a birdhouse ....provided you can obtain CF for the building. So, I believe that no use of talking about Bank Pertanian giving loan for the BH as your land is not worth anything....and most BHs don't have a proper plan by qualified men for CF certification. So, at the present situation, anyone need cash can look for Ah Long WW and mortgage your BH to me....just joking.

He added.....building @ town, yes we can lend according to 80% of S&P provided if the S&P price is reasonable otherwise our panel of valuer will determine the right price. Building OK but Birdnests no value also.......

I just walk by a new BH in town and the sound from the five foot way sound like there is a disco up there and for 24 hours. This building belong a Bumi and he must be new to the trade and luckily there is a sign with his Tel. no. on a cardboard "Mez. Floor for rent" otherwise Hell break lose.

Phone him up and he coming to turn the Vol. down I hope. It's these type of people not knowing anything and not willing to ask for we are most willing to help for the survival of all....or maybe there's a too smart Konsultant at work.

Really don't know what to do.

1.Given advice not to build more BHs at town cos Local Authorities has frozen the increment of BH @ town and got fired back.
2.Told them to respect neighbours only to see them turning Vol. up again especially during present time cos there are no many birds around.
3. So, lastly, let it be and if the local authorities come and tear down these new BHs; who to be blamed as advice has fallen on deaf ears.

I also fear for my BHs but more for my birds as all will die but I am prepared for the worst but are the birds???????

Happy Chap Goh Mei

This post has been edited by West Wing: Feb 7 2012, 11:21 AM

Those ppl whose BHs @ towns should have sold their BHs when the offering were very good like the one that buyers from KL offer a Rm9.9 M for a BH which someone bought @ Rm5.5M less than 1 month and now, even if the owners wish to sell @ Rm3M, nobody will be interested at all with so much uncertainty just like in stock market......I call it BH recession.

Imagine if the deal got true, I should get Rm99,000 commission without any sweat... and now, they are going to lose everything if the local authorities going to close the BH @ town.......I think that they are not going down that easily and may resort to violence so never be the one that encourage the authorities to destroy BHs @ town.......for your own sake.

Just my honest and sincere advice as too much to lose and no man will sit down and let the authorities destroy their BHs easily and someone may have to pay for it. Be Warned, my friends @ forum.

Without prejudice or reference to anyone.

This post has been edited by West Wing: Feb 11 2012, 01:57 PM

Dear Coolandy,


Everything go up but birdnests go down????????

Long ago, brown nests are consider A nests but as time goes, buyers insist on whiter and bigger nests and we are not laying the nests and are we going to use bleaching on nests or are we going to use diaper for the chicks or worst!!! are we going to throw away the chicks and harvest the nests to ensure that the nests are very white and less nitrite.

The Chinese should understand that nests are for the chicks thus shit are normal with nests and I think that they understand except with our side which do seem to understand anything with exception of what told by those advisors whose interest are to create opportunities to make money.

In the end, always the farmers will lose out and the big guys win and we get lesser and the middlemen you know who will share "50% to you and 50% to me" without even dirtying their hands.

What we want to the authorities to tell the Chinese that nitrate or nitrite are normal with EBN and to have none of these, treatment must be done which are bad for health. Take the origin as EBN have been safe for hundreds of years and there is no reason that our nests create health problem and any problem is cause by dishonest suppliers and partly blame because there is good demand for the treated nests.

I can't see no reason why is so difficult to convince the Chinese authorities of these N & N as those came to Malaysia were highly educated experts from China cos China are also like our nearest neighbor ie "KaiSu" type. Immediate excess to China Market should be the final at the meeting then and why must wait for so many months......I don't know but I swear that deep in my heart that only Malaysia prevented our nests from being exported so as to justified the control over the nests in the future and to gain approval of the BH owners that their actions are for the benefit of the industry in Malaysia....I am not comfortable at all but I don't know you all..

Concerning the Nitrite, once the Red nest cannot be exported and that's no chemical be used, everything will be back to normal; normal ppm of N. What we need to is ensure the Chinese that we will monitor the export of nests and that's only Malaysian nests be exported from our country. Make sure that the exporters be personally responsible for the nests exported and any problem with the export, the authorities will take his hide.

The complication must be either our team are very stupid/ know very little or that they did so on purpose to ensure that their personal future projects will be successful.

As always, my comments maybe sensitive so without prejudice to all.

From what I heard, the problem arises from when our Dato liaow left an official to settle the matter in China after he had a round of talk with the Chinese officials. He left a person who know nothing about EBN and left us with the present problem.......if he has left a more credible or knowledgeable person and not the lady, thing now won't had happened..... any disagreement will be helpful.

Am I right?????? or Ada Udang sebalik batu.

Honestly speaking, many people never like my guts and even my own Association key officials think that I talk too much ( although, they never dare tell me so) but really, I never speak for my personal gain.

Lastly, to warn you all is that alot of local authorities never like the idea of
BH @ town and will try to move the BH out. They now try to use Chinese NGOs to dialog to hear what they have to say against the BH @ town and using Chinese to fight Chinese and then blame it all with the Chinese NGOs.

My forwarding of the problem is to ask you to tell your Chinese NGOs not to fall for such trap......if ever the NGOs are called to the meeting with Majlis on the matter concerning BH@town and hope that the Chinese NGOs will support the Chinese BH owners as mostly are Chinese trying to earn a clean and honest living as there are really not many Buz that we can do as all good opportunities never reach our hands. All these are planed by a BN Chinese component party.

All requested is to leave us be and allow us to earn our own honest living and not sound like that we are really illegal which like we are doing drugs or nigh clubs. We did have the support and why now, suddenly we have become illegal.

This post has been edited by West Wing: Feb 15 2012, 04:28 PM

Check back on the Nitrites PPM history and who told the Chinese about our ability on 0% nitrites and still don't know, then ask from Dato Beh or any of the Fed. Key officials and they may be able to brief you better.

Secondly, to report here is that there were this dialog here between MPK with 5 swiftlet representatives, and 5 Chinese NGO reps .......and when one of the NGO came to see me on the meeting in the morning, I advice him that the NGOs must support our industry as most of those involved are Chinese and the authority were trying to use the NGOs to justified any destruction of the BHs @town. He told me that the NGO here support us and will listen to my explanation and assist us all the way.

Ths morning, the kind NGO rep came to see me and brief me as I wasn't allowed to attend the dialog. And I was right that the govt. isn't going to demolise BH@ town now and need to wait until the state govt. passes the guildlines which will only happen after the election. Already confirmed that more than 20 newly Bhs will be demolised.

Why after election and not now as they don't want to offend the BH owners before election but then after election, is anyone guess as the power is with the state govt and not the Fed. govt.

So, all shall be safe before election and GOD only know what will be behold after election......I can predict that it won't be a good one....otherwise, they just approve what the Fed. passed and why the wait and see.

So, my advice is don't build BH @ town anymore as your chances of surviving this coming earthquake is not bright....my prediction. Meanwhile,
all swiftlet Associations/fellow swiftlet BH owners need to hold more fellowship with NGOs of the town and also, support activities of NGO as to show that we are caring and concern for the communities of the town.

Spoken to those who attended meeting are that the new 20+ new BHs are to go and old ones will need to see what the how the state Govt is going to adopt the new 1GP....remember that the state Govt has the final say.

The local Association reps told me that they are appealing to the demolition of the new already built BHs but I fear not much they can do as the local govt did received many complaints about these new BHs build near residential area, thus giving excuses for them to have them remove. I have spoken many times that never give the authorities the excuse to have you remove but many never listen and now, these newly built BHs are mostly near residential areas may have to go; not now but very soon after the election provided they can get assurance from the YBs esp the MB that they will not be demolished and promise not to disturb their neighbours. No point to try to save after election as all have become "Bubur". Poor thing are that majorities that are peaceful and don't disturb the peace will also need to go as well.

For old ones, I fear that unless the Association can come to an understanding with the YBs that these old BHs will remain not for a few years which I believe that what we will get.....

The Govt. did not understand that the core of the swiftlets are from towns and by destroying all @ town don't mean that the birds will fly to out of town BHs cos they may just build their nest in gap near the BHs or fly off to Indonesia or Thailand ....and these birds can really fly.

Any good news from other states??????

Although we are surely not happy with any directive to totally shut down the sound but this is the only way out for us in order that BHs shall no longer be a nuisance to the public. So very often that we will read in Newspaper that someone will approach a YB or complaint to the paper that BH is causing sound pollution and recently, someone even bowed down in front of the minister to ask him to get rid of BHs @ town due to disturbance from the tweeters sound. Possibility maybe that this guy was trying to gather publicity or other reasons but there is truth in what he said and as a BHs owner @ town, I totally agreed with him but to the extend that some BH owners are really stupid or mad to turn their amps to so loud even during the night that they disturb the peace which neighbours are angry and furious.

So, the only way out is to enforce the turning off all sound and to do that, all amps and tweeters must be removed from the BH and anyone failing to do so will have their BHs demolish. We may have to do that to save all BHs due to some ignorant BH owners but there seem to be no way out, trust me as I too have much to lose as all my BHs @ town.

"Kurang Ajar" is what I shall refer those who don't follow instruction to have their sound down or opening an entrance hole just facing the residence area causing so many complaints about the industry.

Apology if hurt but then you did hurt all and going to destroy all in the industry if the Govt. close all BHs @ town.

Thanks for agreeing with me as our local Association didn't. At least, you make your money when you sold off your town BH but the buyer now worry what will become his BH in the near future.

I believe that as I did post that Swiftlet Ranching is an Art and Science, first Art then Science and we all graduate through the Art and now, we are in the science of swiftlet Ranching Buz.

Thing trouble me are that we must ensure that whatever we do,

1. We must not improve or increase nest production by unhealthy way like many things that we have now are not healthy all for instant genetically culture crops which may cause cancer and so many to mentioned just for the sake of making more money and destroying the very purpose of the industry which I believe is to provide the best health food for human consumption.

2. By destroying the eggs and harvesting the nests for faster returns which I believe is unjust to the swiftlets whose nest we harvest.

3. By feeding the artificially hatching the eggs and breeding the swiftlets like chicken which may affect the properties and composite of the nests which may affect the health of the consumers.

Just look around us and we see everything are cancer causing or agent for diseases. The food we eat and even the clothing that we wear are possible the cause of cancer that we are going to get and my believe that not what we want our EBN to become for at least, we can have maybe the only safe and healthy food, the Birdnests.

So, anyone having bright idea on how to improve nest quality or other newest scientific ways to improve may wish to enlighten us here and share together.

Buyer here offer 2100 but no friends selling and hopefully the price will go up......buyer came recently and again, Yesterday and must be desperate for nests otherwise will not offer 100 increment but still not to our request for 2.5K min.

I believe there are still sellers for Rm2.1K as the buyer isn't increasing enough so the waiting game remain until one back down........or that the present sellers are out of stock but difficult as they harvest immediately when the birds finished the nests and that's bad for birds propagating.

Luckily, God is playing a hand that the birds aren't making so many nests as before so as not to flood the market with cheap nests. Even at my BHs, only 50% of the birds are making nests and maybe the birds are having family planing as there are lesser food due to the climate changes .......

Now, since the door to China is temporary closed, We Malaysian BH owners/buyers should look and try to sell to other countries to sell off our nests. No more use to blame here or who but to try to solve the present situation and that is to get rid of all excess nests without destroying the price. Here, we do have chinese workers buying EBN at reasonable price to take home and now, this door is also close and we are as blurred as the rest as what to do when we harvest our nests or rather leave the nests there but then the thieves have been back again doing their job and even at Rm2K, that is still a good income for stealing without any investment.

Heard that other producing countries are all back to recovery and someone who has the information may want to post here to confirm it.

By selling too low will only cause and worsen the EBN price and not good for the industry at all. If someone tell me that better sell now than regret later; for this, I would say that by selling, you create another opportunity for shark to go for another slaughter ie forcing another reduction of price and that will worsen the already bad situation.

I rather hold back and pray that we will have a increase in price for EBN or otherwise by selling low, we are infact helping to cause the downfall in the price of EBN. We need all support and if a portion not support the idea, the whole ambition will fail as no buyer will pay for more if they still can get cheap nests and cheaper each time they come hunting for nests.

Blame yourself for ever that the nest fall below Rm1500 per Kg. Buyers will scare you off by telling you that the price will go down in a week or month and if you fall for it, then the next seller will sell because the buyer will tell the later one that you sold off your nests for the price.

Although we cannot predict or control the future but at least, we tried our best to defend and protect our nests in the best of the ability that we we can. We just can't sit down and hope that the storm will just blow away and we need to prepare for the worst; that maybe that the storm will last for months or maybe years to come. Hope and pray that this storm is a short one or otherwise many BH owners may fold up due to the inability to pay off loan taken to built BH.

Maybe, we do have experts here to advice us here on how to export to Singapore where the price is much better there or other neighbouring countries where they face no restriction on export on EBN.

One Dato came out with a suggestion that the govt. buy up all the unsold nest and resell them when the price is high or process the nests for local and export market. This way, the govt. will be helping the raayat to solve the present crisis and the raayat will not suffer more than they can stand.

My opinion if you do share the same.

Que Sera Sera, what ever will be will be....

If all lost faith in the industry, nothing can help us.

The American and European never like EBN but we may try to convince them to take EBN. Taking about birdnest, many years ago, one British tourist asked me where he can buy nests and he told me that nests is good for the S** and although for the wrong reason, he was looking for birdnests.

Best if we can at least convince our restoran/ hotel to serve birdnest instead of shark fins as many people now are environment protection and concerned with the decline of sharks. Then, we spread our wing to Japan and Taiwan where they too treasure birdnests although the Chinese are the rich ones that can really afford the birdnests. With the present price, everybody can take birdnests once a day...for health.

From what I experienced and heard, EBN is really good for the lung problem and illness like asthma as many parents gave me feed back on their asthmatic children taking birdnests. We must try to sell the nests to locals for health reason like old folks, expecting mothers and preventing illness which the Chinese have well documented all the goodness of birdnest..

Never cheat again and only prepare pure cleaned nest for consumption and not adulterating or bleaching done. Selling 100%% pure nests with nice packaging as gifts and there isn't a better opportunity to try out this golden opportunty with the present very low price of nests.

When I said that maybe many year; I never mean that we keep the nests for many years for I too will not keep the nest for too long and will have to sell if the price still maintain low after a few months cos this is fate that we need to face and we need to face reality which is that doing BH is not a choice of the day and those who want to venture into the buz must wait until the better days, like in the stock market when we did have good time and bad time and this time, the stock market fare no better.

As in everything, there are up and down like the coco, once was so low that no one want to harvest the coco fruits and let them rot cos the processing cost is higher than selling the dried coco seeds. Now, coco fetch so high a price and we shouldn't have sold off our coco plantation during the bad time but who know when the price will go up.

To sell or not to ...is entirely up to you cos if you sell your BH now, at least you still get back your investment back but later, you may lose all but then if the price of EBN goes up and so will the value of BH, you will not forgive yourself for selling off your BH.

Above, just for discussion as there are nothing left to talk about except TC only.

Like always, it's all way down before we ever becoming great. We was No.2 and now, we are no.3 and soon, we shall be no.5 after Vietnam and Cambodia.

All we want is some free space for this industry to flourish without too much restrictions like our neighboring producing countries. We need to be able to compete with other producing countries to excel. If our authorities is going to tie our hands and the other countries aren't doing the same; we here are all soon going to TBT....or Holland the chinese used to say.

All I believe that the authorities should support us but never restrict us and we appreciate any real guidance and proper advice from the caring authorities or infact anyone with the intention to serve but never to sabotage or to create sinned/ unhealthy opportunity for those piranha who were not in the trade before but now venture into the zone to make fast money.

Like I did mentioned before, most of China's processed food export are mostly over the PPM limit issue but never our authorities mentioned and how come our birdnests which are organic and without any additives face such difficulties. How come these healthy birdnests that have been safe for hundreds of years suddenly becoming a health problem at all...

I understand that there were problem before facing the EBN issue due to some bad people or ignorant people who intentionally or unintentionally did used wrong methods to processed EBN but all needed is to make sure that in future none of these happen again and why totally banned even chinese taking back EBN as gift back to China.

If I am not wrong, I believe that there are some thing missing here or should say that " Ada Udang sebalik Batu" ........maybe, there is a conspiration going on and That's s my guess over the issue.

We in Malaysia can't even persuade our govt to assist us and how are we going to Cambodia to build BHs and be safe there. Cambodia shouldn't be a problem with swiftlets but with human difficulties.

I surely will not for at least we know how to settle matter with the authorities here but in Cambodia, maybe they still use M16 to talk. Wanna invest in Cambodia, marry a pretty lady there and she shall be your savior in time of danger.

Again, just talk only as I haven't been to Cambodia and maybe, once there will not want to return to Malaysia again...hahahaha