KUALA LUMPUR: Food premises operators here could have their business licences revoked if they do not maintain hygiene standards, says Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
The Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Minister said that such premises located in the Federal Territories must conduct proper cleaning.
“Otherwise, the local authority will suspend their licence until the cleaning is done,” she added.
She said the cleaning should include waste management and ensuring that the toilets are clean, adding that although these may seem like small matters, they are attractions for tourists.
“A clean kitchen with lots of good food is certainly among the key aspects. Therefore, these are among the priorities that we must address,” she told reporters yesterday after a joint launch of the Malaysia Clean-Up Day: Mega Cleaning Programme in conjunction with World Clean-Up Day 2024 at Central Market.
Zaliha said that at a meeting of the heads of agencies of the Federal Territories Department two days ago, she had asked Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Dr Maimunah Mohd Sharif to carry out enforcement on the cleanliness of the city, especially that involving eateries.
Maimunah had said Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has shut down 417 premises as of July for checks due to hygiene problem.
“If we find rats, lizards or poor maintenance in the kitchen or the toilets, as well as the surrounding areas, we will close them.
“We have done this in accordance with existing DBKL licensing by-laws, which have been in place for a long time, but we are tightening the regulations further because cleanliness is a priority for us,” she added.
Furthermore, she said restaurants with clean kitchens would be an attraction to diners including tourists.
In Zaliha’s speech earlier, she pointed out that Malaysians disposed about 38,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, or an average of 1.17kg per person.
“If we make a comparison, this amount could fill up Bukit Jalil Stadium, which can accommodate over 87,000 people, in just 12 days,” she said.
In Kuala Lumpur alone, city residents produce 2,044 tonnes of waste daily, costing DBKL about RM226mil a year to clean it up.
“This is a significant expenditure. If we can reduce it, the funds could be redirected to development projects that benefit the people,” she added.
