Penang has ordered the temporary closure of 177 food premises across the state after a four-month inspection campaign uncovered widespread hygiene violations.
The Penang Health Department (JKNPP) conducted 204 enforcement operations between January and April 2026, inspecting 4,069 food premises in total. Of those, 177 failed to meet food safety standards and were ordered shut for cleaning and improvement works.
Of the 177 closures, 122 premises (68.9%) had pest control issues. Another 49 (27.7%) failed cleanliness checks. Six premises (3.4%) were linked to food poisoning incidents, while workers at seven premises had not obtained mandatory typhoid vaccinations.
The affected premises included restaurants, school canteens, hospital cafeterias and factory canteens.
Enforcement officers also issued 1,771 notices under Section 32B of the Food Act 1983 to operators found in breach of food safety regulations.
Penang Youth, Sports and Health Committee Chairman Gooi Zi Sen said the actions were not punitive but preventive.
“The actions taken were not punitive, but as a preventive measure to ensure that food sold to the public is safe and does not pose health risks to consumers,” he said.
Gooi denied allegations that enforcement could be avoided through specific pest control companies or that action targeted specific ethnic groups.
“All enforcement actions are carried out fairly in accordance with standard operating procedures, legal provisions and thorough risk assessments to safeguard public health, regardless of the type of premise or background of the operators,” he said.
The department received 241 public complaints in 2026, with 185 involving cleanliness at restaurants and eateries. Twelve involved supermarkets, nine involved stalls or hawker stands, and eight involved food courts. The remaining 27 complaints covered school canteens, childcare centres and food processing factories.
Gooi urged all food premise operators to prioritise cleanliness, equipment maintenance, pest control and safe food handling practices.
Source: Malay Mail
