Time to add bak kwa to the list of items from Malaysia that will land you in hot water if you dare to bring some back with you into Singapore. Over the past couple days, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers came across two cases of motorists attempting to smuggle large amounts of the Chinese dried meat hidden in pastry or cookie packaging at Woodlands Checkpoint.
It’s strange, really, considering the number of bak kwa stalls we have here in Chinatown alone. Unless these people couldn’t bear to pay exorbitant prices or wait in line for hours just for some pieces of jerky.
Anyway, since Malaysia is not on the list of approved countries for the importation of meat products or meat (or eggs) by travelers, the seized packets of bak kwa were promptly disposed of. The cases were then handed over to the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) for investigations.
At the moment, there are 21 countries — including Canada, Netherlands, and the United States — on AVA’s approved list for the import of pork and pork products to Singapore. But to play it safe, the next time you’re unsure of what’s allowed in and what’s not, just do a quick check on AVA’s website before you cross the border. It’ll save you the hassle.
