Eateries in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya faced an uptick in closure orders and food poisoning incidents during the first nine months of this year, surpassing totals for all of 2025.
In a written response to StarMetro, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya Health Department said 207 premises had been ordered to close and 28 food poisoning incidents were recorded until the end of September.
For 2025, 114 closures and 22 incidents were recorded in all.
The department said it had inspected 3,064 food premises by the end of September, compared with 3,762 in 2025.
On the higher food poisoning tally, the department described the trend as relatively stable, with no significant increase.
“We take every incident seriously because it could affect public health and consumer confidence in food safety.
“The most common breaches included premises owners’ failure to employ food handlers who have completed food-handler training and received vaccinations.
“Food handlers were also found not to be wearing suitable protective clothing.”
It said inspectors also found signs of pests such as rats, cockroaches and flies at eateries that were ordered to close.
It said eateries that were ordered to shut were at shopping centres, tourist spots, branded outlets, food courts and business districts.
An establishment may be ordered to close if it fails to achieve the minimum hygiene score of 65%, or presents a serious food-safety risk including pest infestation or food contamination.
Operators are usually given at least three days to clean, sanitise and rectify breaches, after which they may apply for reinspection.
Once it meets the required hygiene and food-safety standards, an eatery will be allowed to reopen.
Under Food Act 1983, an authorised officer may order any premises to close for up to 14 days. If the officer remains dissatisfied with the corrective action, the closure may be extended until the breaches are rectified.
With Visit Malaysia 2026 expected to bring more domestic and international visitors, the Health Department said enforcement needed to be strengthened to protect public health and maintain confidence in food safety.
Last month, StarMetro reported on targeted operations by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).
During checks at Jalan Landak and Jalan Kancil in Bukit Bintang, officers inspected 14 premises, issued 15 compounds and ordered seven premises to close.
The department encourages anyone who identifies unclean or potentially unsafe food premises to lodge complaints through the Health Ministry’s public complaints management system (Sispaa).
It said these complaints helped it identify potentially risky premises, alongside scheduled and risk-based inspections.
