Council raids Line Clear nasi kandar cafe

In a dawn raid, municipal workers have cleared out tables and chairs from “Line Clear”, the popular side-lane nasi kandar cafe in George Town, the New Straits Times reported today. The council action comes after months of wrangling over who has the rights to the cafe.

Council officers took away the tables and chairs in an MPPP lorry, telling the cafe owners them to get a court order if they wanted their property returned.

Security camera view: municipal workers removing tables and chairs from Line Clear (from NST)

Family-run Line Clear has been in business for more than half a century, operating in a side lane off Penang Road, just beside the Chulia Street roundabout.

The council intervention centres on a dispute among four cousins over (1) who holds the business licence from the council and (2) who has the rights to run and manage the cafe.

Abdul Hamid Seeni Pakir, son of the cafe founder, has been in charge since 1989

On one side is Abdul Hamid Seeni Pakir, son of the founder SN Seeni Pakir. He has been running the cafe since 1989.

One the other side are three relatives: Sahubarali China Mohd Haniba, Abdul Latiff Thulkarunai and Pathumah Iskandar.

How it all began

The cafe was first opened after the Second World War and was originally known as Seeni Pakir Coffee Shop, presumably after the founder SN Seeni Pakir, who brought his brother SN Sekandar from India to help him.

In 1952, he brought two workers from India, Tulkainai and Rahmatullah, to help with the cafe.

Seeni Pakir died in 1971, aged 73, and the business was carried on by Sekandar.

When Sekandar died in 1975, his widow took over and the cafe became known as N. Aishah Nasi Kandar.

In 1989, Abdul Hamid Seeni Pakeer, son of the founder, returned and took over running the cafe. In 1992, it became known as “Line Clear Nasi Kandar”, and Abdul Hamid has been running the business since then.

Salim Madinah, a grandson of the founders, helps his uncle Abdul Hamid at Line Clear

Squabble over the licence

At the heart of the dispute is: who holds the licence to Line Clear and who has the rights to run the cafe.

The council says Abdul Hamid does not hold the licence. Instead, it is in the names of the other three. Abdul Hamid says the council has refused to give him a business licence, since 2009. The council says new licences are not given to side-lane cafes.

Squabbling over the business

Abdul Hamid says he has been running the cafe since 1989 without problem.

The three relatives say the business was supposed to be jointly run, with each family taking turns. Abdul Hamid says he was not party to the arrangement, whch was not made before his time.

Squabbling over the side lane

The council says the ultimatum was given to all four parties because the other relatives have set up stalls in the back lane next to Line Clear, which the council says has now made the area unhygenic.

“We will have to take action to ensure the business operates according to rules and regulations,” council licensing director Azman Sirun said in July. “We intend to take over the premises by vacating the area to rearrange the business in line with council by-laws.”

-uppercaise