A renowned nasi kandar restaurant in Bukit Jambul, Penang, has been forced to close its doors for 14 days after cockroaches were discovered in the vegetable storage compartment of its refrigerator.
The closure, which took effect on Saturday (31st Aug), followed an inspection by enforcement officers from the Northeast District Health Office during a recent operation dubbed Op Merdeka.
Harian Metro reported, the restaurant’s supervisor complied with the closure order, which was one of several issued during the operation.
According to M. Shashikumaran, Operations Officer of the Quality and Food Safety Unit of the Northeast District Office, the nasi kandar restaurant was among six premises that were shut down due to various violations, including unsatisfactory cleanliness.
“All closures were carried out under the Food Act 1983,” said Shashikumaran.
The operation, which ran from morning until 8pm involved inspections of 17 food establishments, including restaurants serving nasi padang, nasi biryani, nasi ayam penyet, and others.
In total, 21 notices amounting to RM20,300 were issued during the operation. Of these, 17 notices were issued under the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009, while the remaining four were under the Food Regulations 1985.
Shashikumaran further revealed that expired goods and food products without a Malaysian importer’s address on the label were also seized during the operation.
The items confiscated included milk drinks, biscuits, and other daily food products, with a total value of RM2,624.20.
This closure serves as a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining hygiene standards in food establishments to ensure public health and safety.
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