The unsettling action of a now-fired pretzel shop worker in Mid Valley Kuala Lumpur who posted photos of herself sniffing and kissing dough invoked the ire of Malaysians recently, prompting the eatery to close temporarily for disinfection and cleaning.
Unfortunately, this was only one of many incidents in which unhygienic food practices in Malaysia made headlines over the past week or so. Previously, we shared how Ministry of Domestic Trade and Costs of Living enforcement officers reprimanded a store in Melaka for storing vegetables inside a toilet.
Just a few days later, an eatery in Pahang was caught in a video cleaning pots with a broom. Meanwhile, in another viral video, a different stall in the state was seen cleaning their wok using water from a gutter.
So, what can we do as consumers if we witness eateries or other businesses with unhygienic food practices? What government agency is responsible for taking action against them, and how do we lodge a report?
Well, join us as we break it all down below.
What government agency is responsible for overseeing food hygiene and the safety of food premises?
In Malaysia, this is under the purview of two Ministries, namely the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT).
Specifically, food safety and quality control of food premises are under the purview of the local authority (PBT) and District Health Office (PKD) of where the food premise is located.
For the latter, it’s under MOH’s Food and Safety Quality Division, which enforces the Food Hygiene Regulation 2009.
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This is according to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on Environmental Health on KPKT’s official website.
The FAQ added that if you have any questions or complaints about food hygiene and safety, you can submit them directly to your PBT or nearest PKD.
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Moreover, KPKT asserted that authorised officers from your PBT or PKD are responsible for conducting food hygiene and safety enforcement activities.
As for the circumstances that cause a food premise to be closed, KPKT provided the following:
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The level of cleanliness is unsatisfactory
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Occurrence of food-related infectious diseases such as cholera, typhoid or food poisoning
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Failure to meet the licensing requirements can also result in a food premise being closed
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How to report food premises with unhygienic food practices
As mentioned earlier, you can contact your local PBT and PKD directly to lodge a complaint. Besides that, complaints can also be made at state health departments.
However, there is a simpler way to lodge a report, which is online via the Integrated Complaints Management System (SISPAA) of either of these departments:
In either of the two websites, click on the ‘New Feedback’ option at the top left corner. Afterwards, you can fill in the form with your complaint and include an attachment, such as photos or videos, if needed. Do note that you need to register for an account to be able to file the complaint.
Once submitted, you can check on the latest update on your feedback and whether any actions have been taken for your report by selecting the Feedback Enquiry option.
That’s pretty much it. So, what do you guys think of SISPAA as an online medium to lodge a complaint about food premises’ hygiene? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!
