Basic hygiene was found wanting as many hawker centres and eateries at Taman Muda are not practicing proper standards of hygiene.
The findings were made when Teratai assemblyperson Jenice Lee had led a team of Ampang Jaya Municipal Counil (MPAJ) enforcement officers to conduct an inspection recently.
Apart from old mattresses and rubbishes found strewn near the stalls, one vendor was found washing chicken meats on drainage rods.
Upon seeing the arrival of MPAJ officers, the vendor quickly removed the chickens.
Lee said she was appalled by the hygiene at these eateries.
“Many stalls do not have proper rubbish disposal and just throw their rubbish where they feel its convenient. This easily becomes breeding grounds for rats,” Lee said.
She urged the vendors to co-operate in keeping up with the basic hygiene standards for healthy food preparation.
Public should also do their parts as the first fatal case of leptospirosis at Pandan Indah has proved that improper way of discarding rubbish will eventually cause harm to the people, Jenice said.
“About this rat urine disease, you can get it by just touching contaminated utensils or items; you don’t have to consume the food in order to contract the disease,’’ she reminded.
She also highlighted the destitute state of rubbish bins at shop houses to the MPAJ officers as she had seen workers throwing garbage or plastic bags on the road.
“Many of the bags are not tied up properly, and this is causing leftovers to spill all over roads,” she added.
(from right) Lee and MPAJ officers
She urged MPAJ to take stern action against stall keepers who do not provide proper rubbish bins and upkeep the cleanliness of their premises.
Regarding some car parks in Taman Muda which had been converted into food courts, Jenice said it is up to the residents to decide whether they want to keep the eateries or revert them into car parks.
Selangor’s first outbreak of leptospirosis took place at Pandan Indah recently as 63-year-old Wong Foong Quen caught the bacterial disease while cleaning her backyard.
She subsequently passed away after being treated in the hospital.
CJMY
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