According to The Star Online, the Negri Sembilan Mentri Besar said his administration had no other option but to take drastic action as such farms were the culprits behind the massive fly problem affecting many areas in Seremban, including tourist destinations such as Port Dickson.

"The problem has become so serious and it has caused a lot of problems to the people.

"We have no other choice but to do so as these operators have refused to convert to the closed system despite telling them to do so more than 10 years ago," he told reporters after chairing the state exco meeting on Wednesday (3 January).

"There used to be one such farm in my kampung in Rantau and the villagers used to face a lot of fly-related problems. We eventually ordered the farm closed and the problem was solved," he said.

Mr Mohamad said he regretted the lackadaisical attitude of such operators as they were inconveniencing the public.

"They never made the initiative to migrate to a closed system although it has been so many years since they were advised to do so," he said.

Asked how many farms would be ordered closed, Mr Mohamad said he could not provide details but said that there were several.

Three such open farms are expected to be closed in Port Dickson alone.

Last March, Mr Mohamad said his administration would not entertain new applications for the opening of commercial poultry farms after flies were found to have swarmed several areas.

He said only about 64 of the more than 100 farms operating on a commercial basis had moved to the closed farming system.