The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has opened applications for 2027 Chinese New Year seasonal stall licences and temporary fireworks sales licences, and added safety conditions for traders selling fireworks, the state government publication Buletin Mutiara said on 9 November.
Seasonal stall licences run from 13 January to 20 February 2027. Fireworks sales licences run from 13 January to 11 February 2027, and both are subject to directives from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM).
Charges stay unchanged. Traders pay RM1 a day for every 40 square feet, RM6 for refuse collection at a stall of the same size, and RM100 for a 20-foot by 20-foot canopy. Applications go through the council’s online licensing portal at ulesen.mbpp.gov.my. Fireworks sales licence applications close on 30 November and stall licence applications close on 31 December, the New Straits Times reported.
A stall licence does not cover fireworks. Traders must file a separate fireworks application and hold a valid police permit before the council approves the sales location. MBPP said approval of a seasonal stall licence does not by itself authorise fireworks sales.
Under the new conditions, traders must keep suitable fire-fighting equipment at the stall, store fireworks according to safety rules and police orders, and keep the sales area clear of unrelated flammable material. Sales are barred near petrol stations and other high-risk locations identified by the authorities. Smoking, burning and testing fireworks at a sales site are prohibited. Failure to produce a police permit or comply with its conditions can lead to the council revoking the licence without further notice.
MBPP said the extra requirements follow an incident in Jawi last year. A separate case drew national attention in March, when a fire at a fireworks stall in Taman Pekaka, Nibong Tebal destroyed about 95 per cent of the structure, according to Citizens Journal. Nobody was injured. The Seberang Perai City Council revoked that stall’s permit and told operators to keep fire extinguishers and insurance, while Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming ordered a nationwide review of safety measures at temporary fireworks stalls. Nibong Tebal sits under the Seberang Perai council, not MBPP.
Other conditions cover the wider seasonal trade. Food handlers and their assistants need valid anti-typhoid vaccinations and must avoid direct contact with food. Tables, chairs and business items must stay inside the approved stall area, stall sizes need council approval, and traders must keep traffic moving around their sites. Polystyrene containers and plastic drinking straws remain banned, and the council continues to push cashless payments and the practice of bringing reusable bags.
Foreign nationals may not apply for or manage a business under either licence category. MBPP said 128 applications were approved in 2026. Traders found operating without approval, or in breach of licence conditions, face enforcement action that includes cancellation of the licence.
The council said it will keep working with the police on compliance checks through the festive period. It has not said how many applications it expects for 2027, and Citizens Journal noted that the MBPP notice mentions extra safety rules for 2027 without listing them in full.
