Local councils urged to buck up on enforcement

SIBU: All local councils are urged to buck up on their enforcement in ensuring eateries operate with the necessary licence and that their premises are always clean.

In stating this, Assistant Minister of Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil called for stern action against outlets operating without a licence and those found to be dirty.

“I think this is where we have been lacking in ... enforcement. We have to have strict enforcement. When people do things without a licence, we have to tell them this is not right ... that they have to get a licence to operate.

“If the councils are committed, it will make a huge difference. It has always been my aspiration to see enforcement by local authorities is strengthened,” he said when contacted yesterday.

He was asked to comment on Sibu Municipal Council ( SMC) chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King’s reminder during the full council meeting on Wednesday that those intending to start a food business, be it coffee shops or other eateries, must obtain a licence from SMC, apart from trade licence from district offices.

Tiong also disclosed that the council had already compounded many unlicensed food outlets, but many others were still out there.

Penguang, who is Marudi assemblyman, believed it was a good move in getting eateries to be more hygienic and cleaner particularly in their food preparations, toilets and the public areas. He said the onus was on the operators to ensure the cleanliness of their premises.