The Penang state government is extremely concerned about the hardhearted privatisation of hygienic standards of hawkers in Malaysia by the Health Ministry that will only impose additional costs to low-income hawkers, already reeling badly from rising prices imposed by the BN Federal government. Hawkers in Penang are rushing to register themselves for a food-handling course for fear of being fined or jailed after the January 23 deadline to obtain a certificate.
Hawkers are liable to a maximum fine of RM 10,000 or a maximum jail term of two years, or both imposed by the Health Ministry health officers, if the hawkers fail to obtain the certificate on time under the 2009 Food Hygiene Regulations.The Health Ministry allows 6 companies in Penang to impose a charge of RM 50 for a simple food-handling course, which both the Majlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang (MPPP) and Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai(MPSP) conducts free of charge.
Why can’t the Health Ministry conduct these courses free of charge or accept a nominal payment instead of allowing private companies to make money from low-income groups like hawkers? Hawkers upset at the RM50 charges are asking whether this is privatisation or piratisation. The Health Ministry has endorsed six training schools to run the courses: Pearl Garden Enterprise; Pusat Latihan dan Perundingan Wasin; Sihat Utama Enterprise; CSL Training and Consultancy; SQC Management (Pg) Sdn Bhd and Institusi Pengendali Makanan Ilham.
The state government supports any efforts to improve food safety and hygienic standards. There should be no compromise on health enforcement with more than 10,000 cases of food poisoning cases reported last year. However, reducing food poisoning incidents should not be exploited as a pretext to allow some private companies to earn money.
The price hikes by BN have caused hawkers in Penang to pay for higher prices in sugar, petrol, TNB power tariffs, highway tolls and now the RM 50 food-handling course. In contrast the Penang state government did not impose any increase in quit rent, assessment charges, business licenses and conducts free of charge the food handling course. For this reason, the EXCO meeting on 15.1.2014 decided that the State EXCO member for Health Dr Afif Bahardin will be writing to the Federal government opposing the hardhearted privatisation of hygiene of hawkers by the Health Ministry that will impose additional financial burdens which benefit the few at the expense of many.