PETALING JAYA: The Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) has cancelled the licence of a restaurant in Pandan Indah after a video clip showing a rat feeding on fried chicken inside a food warmer display went viral on social media.
MPAJ said it has issued a notice of licence cancellation to the restaurant, to take immediate effect.
Its chairman, Fauzi Yatim, said action will be taken if the restaurant continues to operate.
“Any application for a new licence will only be considered if all conditions, especially relating to cleanliness, are complied with,” he said in a statement today
Fauzi said that based on inspection records, the restaurant received a Grade B rating for its cleanliness in June 2021 and in January this year.
Yesterday, Bernama reported that the restaurant had been ordered by the health ministry to shut down for 14 days.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said an enforcement team from the food safety and quality division of the Selangor health department and the Hulu Langat district health office, which conducted checks at the premises yesterday, found that the cleanliness level was unsatisfactory.
He said the restaurant was also slapped with six compound notices under the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009 over numerous food safety and hygiene-related violations.
The ministry urged food business owners and food handlers to exercise joint responsibility in ensuring food safety to prevent food-borne illnesses.
“Consumers are advised to choose premises with the BeSS (clean, safe and healthy) logo when buying food or eating out,” Noor Hisham said.
