Ong hopes to navigate the bad publicity over the closure of his popular pohpia outlet last month.
MELAKA: A popular popiah stall here operating for close to 100 years was almost shuttered completely due to hygiene concerns.
But Bunga Raya Popiah operator Ong Chee Siong, 46, who serves the spring rolls along Jalan Munshi Abdullah here credits his loyal customers for their encouraging words to take him through the trying times.
He said his family endured endless heartaches after the Melaka Health Department ordered the closure of the business due to an alleged violation of the stall's cleanliness in early October.
"We were given the green light to reopen on Oct 16 after the authorities were satisfied with our remedial measures but the few days of closure had broken my heart.
"It's the words of encouragement from our customers that made us come back even stronger," he said during an interview here on Monday (Nov 11).
Ong said among those who visited his stall when it reopened last month was Bandar Hilir assemblyperson Leng Chau Yen.
"YB told me that she had enjoyed our popiah since young and she believes I will not compromise in ensuring food safety.
"She even ordered a few of the popiah during her visit, and that moved me emotionally," he said.
Ong said the support of the many customers who came to visit when he reopened far outweighed the criticisms of a handful against the stall’s hygiene.
"We have been in business for close to 100 years and never lacked in our food safety.
"We even shifted to this new site at Jalan Munshi Abdullah about two months ago to provide some assurance to our customers but never expected this to happen when all the utensils were still new," he said.
Ong acknowledged that he had neglected to ensure his foreign workers underwent food handling training and vaccinations as soon as shifting to the new site.
He said that meticulous attention went into maintaining good food-handling practices on which his late father had always insisted.
"We even engaged a pest control company to ensure there was no rat infestation but sadly there were droppings at the back door of the kitchen during the check which landed us in trouble," he related.
Ong said four generations of his family had plied the popiah business with the closure having a devastating impact on them.
"The business we inherited from our father was in complete disarray during the five days closure but the episode made us resilient with lots of encouragement from our loyal customers.
"Bunga Raya popiah has been a signature delicacy here and we get many tourists making a beeline to our stall, especially during the Visit Melaka Year 2024," he said.
Ong also admitted there was business rivalry when he shifted to the new site as he wanted to prioritise the safety of his customers.
"I am paying higher rental now as the previous site posed a risk to the safety of my customers when standing on a long queue along the roadside," he said.
Ong said he was surprised when the enforcement officers appeared at his stall and told him that they were acting on a public complaint.
"I asked them if any of my customers had complained about food poisoning after consuming my popiah and officers told me that they were carrying out their duties and I obliged them to conduct the check on that day," he said.
Ong said he would take the closure in his stride and strive towards improving his service to his customers.
"I don't intend to blame anyone but focus on safeguarding the interests of my customers," he added.
On Oct 12, media reported that the stall was ordered to close immediately after authorities found the cleanliness of the food preparation area to be unsatisfactory.
