Health hazard: A fly landing on leftover chicken at a restaurant in Rawang.
PETALING JAYA: A restaurant may have deplorable hygiene conditions behind a pristine dining area, so how do customers tell if the premises is actually dirty?
A stakeholder reveals there is a key indicator of an eatery’s cleanliness: check the toilet.
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Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan said a clean toilet reflects how clean a restaurant’s kitchen is.
“If the washroom is not clean, then that is definitely what is happening in their kitchen as well,” he said, adding that ratings should be given on hygiene standards.
Jawahar agreed with Housing and Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming’s reminder last year that food and beverage operators must uphold stringent hygiene standards at their premises if they want to renew their business licence.
“This is crucial for our country’s image, especially when catering to foreign visitors,” he said.
Jawahar added that Presma members exchange WhatsApp messages on claims and complaints received, as well as on how to ensure hygiene standards are met.
He said members would always comply with existing Health Ministry standards and even take additional measures.
For instance, Jawahar, who has over 20 food outlets, said he has appointed inspection officers tasked with monitoring his outlets to ensure that hygiene standards are maintained.
“They will check workers’ hair and nails, washroom conditions and even their hostels.
“We also ensure that spice bottles are kept and labelled properly,” he said, adding that it is the owner’s responsibility to deliver top-quality service to customers.
Jawahar was commenting on recent reports of a 24-hour eatery in Perak being forced to shut down due to severe hygiene lapses discovered during a Health Department inspection.
Between January and May this year, 31 eateries across Perak were ordered to close immediately for violating Section 11 of the Food Act.
Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) president Mohideen Abdul Kader stressed the need for authorities to conduct regular inspections.
He proposed immediate revocation of licences for non-compliant eateries instead of just issuing fines.
“This can be a good warning to other eateries. There must also be complaint boxes in every eatery,” he said.
For their part, consumers must lodge complaints if an eatery fails to comply with hygiene standards, he said.
“CAP is urging the authorities not to compromise on the issue of cleanliness in eateries.
“Consumers are paying for what they eat,” Mohideen added.
