‘Ministry cannot limit mamak eatery hours’
PUTRAJAYA: The Health Ministry cannot make a unilateral decision to limit the operating hours of mamak restaurants, its minister, Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam, said.
He said apart from the ministry, such a directive needed the Tourism, Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government, Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministries’ approval.
“We can implement it only if everyone agrees to it,” he said after delivering his New Year’s message to the ministry’s staff and officers yesterday.
He said the ministry had suggested limiting the number of 24hour restaurants in an area.
“However, this is under discussion.”
He said people were advised against eating in the middle of night as it was not healthy.
“This is why we (Health Ministry) proposed the move.
“We hope to address this issue and reduce the number of people who are overeating at the wrong time.”
Dr Subramaniam last month shared with the New Straits Times a 13-point guideline to promote a healthier nation, which included limiting restaurants’ operating hours to midnight and banning advertisements on food and drinks with high fat, salt and sugar content.
He suggested taxing sweetened beverages, exempting sports equipment from import duties and exempting gymnasium operators from paying corporate tax.
He said the ministry was discussing the implementation of a bundling mechanism to address the rising cost of private healthcare.