Singapore Food Agency keeps ‘Bak Kwa’ ban in place, Malaysia’s delicacy still off limits

SINGAPORE: In an issued reminder, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) reaffirmed that residents are currently not permitted to bring bak kwa, the popular barbecued pork delicacy, into Singapore from Malaysia.

According to Malaysia News, the SFA clarified that Malaysia remains an unapproved source country for pork and beef under existing regulations. This announcement followed numerous complaints from residents who faced difficulties at the Singapore-Malaysia border when attempting to bring Bak Kwa back into the country.

One particularly disappointed individual, Wang Everleigh, shared her experience in the Complaint Singapore Facebook group, recounting how she was forced to discard S$150 (RM500) worth of bak kwa at a Singapore Customs checkpoint. Other users in the MY SG Road Trip — Eat, Play, Stay Malaysia! The Facebook group also reported thorough vehicle inspections at the border, with some being asked to dispose of meat products, including bak kwa, as part of their Chinese New Year shopping.

Many had hoped that the passing of the Food Safety and Security Bill on January 8 would ease restrictions on meat imports. However, the SFA clarified that although the bill is designed to increase the range of countries from which meat can be brought into Singapore, the revised limits have not yet been implemented, and a timeline for these changes remains unannounced.

As of now, SFA guidelines still allow individuals to bring in up to 5kg of barbecued pork slices, but only from approved source countries such as Australia and Japan. For the time being, Malaysia remains excluded from this list, meaning bak kwa lovers will have to wait for further updates before bringing the popular treat from across the border.