PETALING JAYA: A school canteen in Sungai Ramal has been ordered to close for 14 days after several pupils reportedly suffered vomiting, dizziness and stomach aches, with health authorities investigating the cause.
A closure notice showed that the canteen kitchen at Sekolah Seri dan Semi Abim Sungai Ramal was ordered to cease operations from Tuesday (June 30) until July 14 under Section 18(1)(d) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 as a precautionary measure.
The incident, which allegedly occurred on Monday (June 29), came to light after parents shared their children's symptoms on social media.
One parent said her daughter vomited three times while at school but recovered by Monday night.
"My daughter said the sambal beef served was spicy," she wrote, adding that the situation appeared to be under control by Tuesday.
Other social media users also claimed the dish had an unpleasant smell, although the cause of the pupils' illness has yet to be established.
Another parent defended the school's handling of the incident, saying parents had been kept informed through official communication channels and that health authorities had visited the school to conduct inspections and investigations.
As of Wednesday (July 1), neither the school nor the Selangor Health Department has issued an official statement on the cause of the incident, with investigations said to be ongoing.
The latest closure comes less than two months after the canteen of a Tamil school in Penang was ordered to shut for 14 days on May 15 after health inspectors discovered rat droppings behind an unused refrigerator.
No food poisoning cases were reported in that incident, but the premises were closed under the Food Act 1983 until cleaning and sanitisation works were completed.
