City Hall personnel have a word with a worker at this Sepanggar eatery.
A total of RM2,600 in compounds was issued by City Hall during a Health Ministry crackdown on errant eatery owners which was carried out simultaneously around the country earlier this week.A spokeswoman for City Hall’s Environmental Health Department said 10 individuals in the Sepanggar area were penalised for contravening its ordinance on Tuesday.
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“Eight were not abiding by the conditions set out in our Food and Eating Premises By-Laws 1966, while the remainder were violating our Anti-Litter By-Laws 1984,” she said.
Bags of rubbish and other discarded items can be seen stacked up beside an extension behind a kitchen on one of the shops.
“The compounds served to the former amounted to about RM2, 400, while those to the latter came up to RM200.”
Two each among the first group of offenders were taken to task for failing to obtain valid health certificates for their staff, failing to install the grease-traps in their kitchens according to required specifications, misappropriating the five-foot way behind their shops to cook and clean and for licensing infractions.
“Where the licences were concerned, one was found to be running his/ her business illegally,” the spokeswoman said.
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“The other had failed to have his/ her licence renewed.”
She said 13 health inspectors from City Hall’s Food Quality and Safety Division participated in “Operasi Bersepadu Pemeriksaan Premis Makanan” (Unified Operation to Inspect Food Premises) organised by the Ministry.
The grease traps (one shown above) at two premises had been improperly installed.
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They were joined by the Police, as well as officers from the “Pejabat Kesihatan Kawasan Sabah (Kota Kinabalu Health Office)” and the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry.
The spokeswoman said 15 premises at a commercial centre of Jalan Politeknik were checked as part of the Operation.
“Our inspectors noticed that one operator had built an extension behind his/ her kitchen and stacked up bags of rubbish, including other discarded items, beside this structure.
City Hall and KKHO inspectors look over the licence and health certificates of the premises.
“Another had some tubing connected from the outlet for his/ her kitchen sink onto the pavement at the back of his premise.
“Our staff actually caught sight of the soapy and oily water from the premises streaming through a grill into the covered drain in this part of the commercial centre.”
The spokeswoman said all the wrongdoers were instructed to pull up their socks and address their respective shortcomings.
“Our inspectors made it clear that further action could be taken against them if these irregularities persisted.
She said the anti-litter offenders risked having legal action taken against them.
Soiled water from this kitchen was being deliberately channelled into the covered drain nearby.
They could become liable to a fine for as much as RM 10,000, if they were found guilty in court, according to her.
“We may even consider ordering the more defiant operators to temporarily close their shops.”
The spokeswoman said the KKHO had already taken this step with nine eateries at the commercial centre because of concerns about the rat and cockroach infestations in these premises.
“KKHO officers issued 11 notices for various breaches under the Food Act 1983 during the Operation,” she said.
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