The Penang government detected 30,913 dirty eateries in the state from 2008 to 2018 in the state and has taken measures to either close them down or issue compounds as part of enforcement action.
State executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo today sternly warned food operators to up their game and live up to George Town's "Cleanest Asian City" status, an award which it obtained in January 2018.
Jagdeep said the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) had also been instructed to carry our more enforcement operations against eateries and food premises.
"I sternly warn all operators, jangan main-main (don't' trivialise the matter) with the state government. We are serious in this effort to keep our city safe and clean," Jagdeep warned.
Jagdeep reminded that Penang's motto of being a "Green, Clean, Healthy and Safe" state has been recognised internationally.
In January this year, George Town won the award for being one of Asean's cleanest city with it being presented in Chiang Mai in Thailand on Jan 26 at the closing of the Asean Tourism Forum 2018.
Then tourism and culture minister Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz was present at the award ceremony.
Jagdeep (above) said to date 165 premises in Penang have been shut down with 30, 748 compounds issued from 2008 to July this year.
More operations
Jagdeep, the Dato Keramat assemblyperson, also oversees the local government, housing, town and country planning portfolio.
"We have to be firm in terms of the cleanliness of our hawker centres and food courts or else our status as a clean city in Asean will be jeopardised," Jagdeep told reporters at the Komtar state secretariat today.
Accompanying Jagdeep at the press event were MBPP mayor Yew Tung Seang and environmental health and licensing director Judy Shoba Robert.
"I have also asked Yew and Robert to carry out more operations at these food courts and closure of premises will be carried out with the collaboration of MBPP and the state health department," he said.
MBPP compounds carry a maximum fine of RM450 while offences under the Food Act 1983 may carry a RM100,000 fine or maximum 10-year jail sentence on conviction.
As part of its recent food safety operations, 12 outlets, including popular nasi kandar eateries in George Town, were forced to close by the Health Department for two weeks after they were found to have violated food safety regulations. - Mkini
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