RAT droppings on work surfaces, uncooked food placed on newspapers and cockroach eggs in the corners of cupboards – these were just some of the horrifying finds by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) health officers during a surprise inspection of eateries in Danau Kota, Setapak.
Out of the 23 premises inspected, eight were immediately ordered to close, while 11 were slapped with compound notices for various offences including failing to display licences and obstruction of the passageway.
Federal Territories Ministry (Planning and Development) deputy secretary-general Datuk Mohd Sani Mistam, who led the operation, said periodical enforcement was aimed at ensuring operators followed food safety regulations.
“We have been conducting these types of operations since 2011, and there has been an upward trend towards food hygiene by both operators and visitors.
“People are more conscious about where they eat and the cleanliness of the place.
“Operators, meanwhile, feel the pinch when they are forced to close and make an effort to keep the place clean,” he said.
DBKL Health and Environment Department director Dr Hayati Abdullah said the restaurants ordered closed had two weeks to clean up their premises.
“Once we are satisfied that the restaurants have cleaned up sufficiently, they will get the go-ahead to resume business,” she said.
The notices issued were in accordance with the 1979 Food Handling By-law, 1985 Food Establishment By-law and the Food Act 1983.
About 40 personnel from the Federal Territories Ministry, DBKL Health and Environment Department, DBKL Licensing and Petty Traders Management Department as well as the enforcement unit took part in the operation.
From Jan 1 to May 27, DBKL had closed about 390 restaurants in the city for health and safety code violations.
In 2011, only 41 were ordered to close, a stark difference from the 1,157 premises shut last year.
There had also been an increase in the complaints received with 2,921, 3,425, 3,301, 3,445 and 3,298 recorded, respectively, from 2011 until 2015.
