PETALING JAYA: The proposed move by the Selangor state government to ban foreign workers working as main cooks at hawker stalls will ensure the small-scale business is run only by locals while retaining the authentic taste of Malaysian food, say stakeholders.
Malaysian Federation of Hawkers and Petty Traders Association president Datuk Seri Rosli Sulaiman agrees that the move will preserve the reputation of Malaysian cuisine.
“The foreign hires should only be handling cleaning or helping with food preparation, not actually cooking.
“Take, for example, the way an Indonesian cooks, especially how ingredients are sauteed; they may follow a different style. You can taste the difference in their asam pedas or lemak.
“It is up to us to retain our way of cooking and tradition,” he said when asked to comment on the proposal.
Rosli stressed the critical importance of hiring a local cook and recommended paying them between RM100 and RM120 per day.
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On Wednesday, the Selangor state assembly heard that the state was deliberating whether to ban foreign workers from working as main cooks at hawker stalls, a move that is already being practised in Penang.
The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has said it will be widening the ban to all hawker stalls, food courts, and coffee shops starting next year.
Currently, the ban only applies to hawker centres and food courts belonging to MBPP.
Introduced in 2014 and implemented since 2016, the policy covers 13 types of local hawker food.
Jalan Alor Traders and Hawkers Association secretary Simon Ang said the move can help address the issue of subletting businesses to foreigners, which is especially rampant in Kuala Lumpur.
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“Hawker food is normally a family-run business, so it should not be run by foreigners.
“Those with hawker licences operate on government premises or land.
“At the rate of only RM144 per year or RM12 per month, these small-scale businesses are meant for the B40, or young entrepreneurs operating on government land,” he said.
On the bigger hawker centres or food courts, Ang said such establishments are run like restaurants with specialties such as Japanese, Arab or Thai food, so foreign cooks should be allowed as they are located on private premises.
“They can have a variety of food from different people who pay rent for the premises,” he added.
However, Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association (Primas) deputy president C. Krishnan noted that permits are given by the Home Ministry to hire cooks in restaurants, or “kedai makanan”.
“To my understanding, under “gerai” or hawker stall, there is no provision for foreign workers to work in any capacity.
“But if the hawker centre has a proper licence to operate as a kedai makanan or restaurant, they can apply for a work permit with the ministry.
“Therefore, it is likely that those already operating have received approval.
“If they hold a legal work permit, how will the state government say ‘no’ to the owner?” he asked.
Krishnan added that a clear definition must be established between a “gerai”, which is a small-scale business, and a “kedai makanan” to prevent any confusion in the implementation of the ban.
“This is because there are gerai businesses that have expanded to a restaurant level with work permits
“This is where the state government should verify the information, especially with things going in many directions,” he added.
Selangor is reportedly planning to consult Penang on how to implement the rule.
Lee Chean Chung, the MP for Petaling Jaya, a densely populated city awash with eateries of various levels, said before such a policy is adopted, there needs to be a study carried out, especially with the concern of illegal workers.
