Eight food premises ordered to close

Mazlan pasting a two-week closure notice at a food court off Persiaran Raja Muda Musa in Klang.

THREE food courts and five restaurants in Klang, Selangor, were ordered to close for two weeks for failing to ensure food items in their premises were protected from potential sources of contamination.

Klang Municipal Council (MPK) Health Department’s food safety and quality section senior health officer Mazlan Abd Gany said the closure effective July 29 was carried out after health inspectors found “several major violations that could contaminate food and likely lead to food poisoning”.

“Our health inspectors carried out the operation based on public complaints on cleanliness and poor hygiene practices but ended up finding several food handlers who were not inoculated and outlets that had dismantled their grease traps, causing oil to enter the drains,” he said.

He said cleanliness at most eating places had taken a back seat because of a shortage of workers.

Other departments that were involved in the operation included the council’s Enforcement Department and Licensing and Environmental Services Department, comprising 26 officers.

“We will not compromise on food businesses that do not get their workers inoculated and keep their kitchens clean.

“Our team will conduct random checks and if the kitchen is dirty and the workers have not had typhoid jabs, we will close the premises as it endangers public health,” he said.

Mazlan said food handlers without inoculation was like a “time bomb for food preparation”.

“Closure of the food courts and restaurants was done under the Food Establishment Licensing By-Laws (MPK) 2007.

“It is a major offence as it puts customers’ health at risk.

“If a restaurant’s dining area is clean, it does not mean that it will not be shut down,” he said.

He added that the three food courts that were shut were located along Persiaran Raja Muda Musa while the five restaurants were in Bandar Puteri, Bandar Botanic, Taman Gembira, Jalan Pasar and Taman Telok Pulai.

“Restaurateurs are well informed of our regulations for business licence and we want them to follow the rules,” said Mazlan.

Some eateries are unhappy with MPK for the continuous checks but Mazlan said the council would step up its checks at eateries to ensure regulations related to food preparation were strictly adhered to at all times.

“We want consumers to patronise only restaurants that are clean and practise good hygiene.

“Our advise to consumers is to assess a restaurant based on a simple check on its washrooms.

“Before you eat at a restaurant, see if the washroom has liquid soap and paper towels and if the hand-washing area is clean.

“If the washroom smells bad, it is likely that the kitchen area is also not clean,” he said.

Mazlan urged the public to lodge complaints with MPK’s food safety and quality section if they come across dirty eateries.

Klang Consumer Association president Devadass Anjan advised the public to dine at clean restaurants, coffeeshops and food courts.

“Consumers can compel restaurants to follow cleanliness rules by keeping away from those that do not keep their premises clean,” he said.