www.ipohecho.com.my IPOH echoechoYour Community Newspaper FREE for collection from our office and selected outlets, on 1st & 16th of the month. 30 sen for delivery to your ISSUE JUNE 16 - 30, 2009 PP 14252/10/2009(022651) house by news vendors within Perak. RM 1 prepaid postage for mailing within Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei. 76 NEWS IPOH – DENGUE MOONLIGHT A FIREFLY 10 MINUTES A DAY SERENADE AWAY KEEP THE MOSQUITOES AWAY 3 8 10 HOOKED ON HAWKERS The economic downturn has brought more people out on the streets in Ipoh, literally. As more people are losing their jobs and livelihood, many have resorted to starting their own food business and many hawker stalls are mushrooming in the city. Will this trend help boost or denigrate Ipoh’s reputation as a food haven, known for its hawker specialties and other restaurant delectables? Continued on page 2 2 IPOH ECHO JUNE 16 - 30, 2009 Your Community Newspaper Proliferation of hawkers resulting from economic downturn poh has always been fa- is carrying out regular in- Imous for its food, and spection on food safety as people come all the way well as ensuring that the from Penang, Kuala Lum- hawkers are licensed and pur or even Malacca to comply with regulations. have lunch or dinner dur- Licenses are only issued to ing weekends. applicants who satisfy the Ipoh Echo spoke to a stringent requirements. new hawker who started a New Sites food stall about 9 months ago because there were In order to cope with signs of an economic down the increase in the number turn which is affecting his of hawkers, existing hawk- company. He observed that er food courts are being a number of companies extended and new sites are downsizing and have are being identified. Over offered their staff VSS the past 2 years MBI has (voluntary separation opened 2 hawker centres, scheme) or reduced their one in Kampong Manjoi number of work days and and the other in Klebang. with it a pay cut. However only few hawk- Being a proactive sort, ers have opened stalls pre- he decided to set up a stall ferring rather to set up in at night while he was still more popular locations. working, in anticipation of En. Johari, Pmg. being laid off. His reasons Pengarah Kesihatan Busy Food Court Bandaraya, said that his for going into the hawker hawking in non approved department was responsi- business were simple: rel- premises and without a ble for issuance of hawker atively low risk and low license. Hawker centres licences as well as enforce- capital; coffee shops usu- must have basic amenities ment. Hawkers must be ally rent out their space for such as piped water, vaccinated before they can RM8-20 per day which in- electricity, proper waste start operating and must cludes water and electric- disposal, clean toilets and attend a Food Hygiene ity, so if the hawker busi- wash basins to wash hands. Course. It is mandatory ness does not take off there However it is questionable that not only the proprietor is minimum loss. Hence whether they can actually but all employees attend he has not applied for a cover the vast number of this course. license yet in case it does stalls that open up. not work out and the rea- He added that errant hawkers are issued with son for his anonymity. Hazardous Practices summonses and those Not all hawkers set Problems arise when without licenses are fined. up and rent space in coffee hawkers do not dispose of However, quite often those shops with running water their of food waste prop- who have been summoned and electricity though. A erly with drains becom- plead for leniency because large number set them- ing clogged, giving rise they are unable to pay the selves up by the roadside to scenes of rats running fine. En. Johari concluded and as more hawker stalls around in stalls. When no that the street food sector proliferate, some from ex- piped water is available, must be included in urban cellent home cooks while vendors will wash their planning and development others out of sheer ne- dishes at home at the end to make it a sustainable cessity and survival, the of their shift but if clean business. This will pre- primary concern for the dishes run out and business vent the creation of illegal general public is the mat- is brisk during business Mobile Hawker Stall hawker centres. ter of hygiene and health hours, they’ll rinse dishes The Hawker Manage- standards. in a pail of water. Add to ing outside. Many feel that sibly, parasites, may linger Health Minister Datuk Seri ment Unit inspects this, the fact that some do as long as there is no food in the body and symptoms Liow Tiong Lai announced hawkers twice a month to MBI Involvement not clean up after closing poisoning after eating at a can manifest later. in June 2009 that the Health ensure that they comply Dato’ Abdul Rahim, and the resultant situation particular place, the food The new Food Ministry would expand its with hygiene standards Acting MBI Secretary, may be hazardous to the is clean. This is a wrong Hygiene Regulations Act Food Safety and Quality and takes action against said that he was aware of consumer. perception as non-hygienic 2009 which was passed Division and stall operators errant hawkers. Action is the problem. He assured It is a common prac- food preparation can have earlier this year is expect- would be monitored more also taken against those that the Health Department tice for hawkers to pre- long term effects on the ed to be implemented ear- closely. pare food with their bare body. The bacteria and pos- ly next year. Meanwhile, A. JEYARAJ hands as well as accept- ing payment themselves. Currency, because of its TIPS FOR CONSUMERS ON CHOOSING HAWKERS: high turnover, being passed •Wearing clean and proper attire (apron) by JAYAMERY PAUL from hand to hand, is the •Wearing head cover (scarf, cap) single most contaminat- ing source of bacteria and •Have good personal hygiene (short and clean fingernails, not smok- simultaneous handling of ing, spitting, coughing onto food, not using bare hands to handle food and money contrib- cooked food, using a clean towel, not licking and using fingers to utes to food borne illness. taste food) The same person should not handle food and cash. •Cooked food not stacked on top of another during display, storing or serving Wrong Perception •Use separate towels for wiping tables, utensils and for drying hands C o n s u m e r s International discovered •Food not prepared near toilets or drain that 30 percent of consum- •Not located very near to the roadside and heavy traffic ers in the Klang Valley and •Using clean glassware and plates (not cracked or chipped) Muar fell ill after eating •Clean and safe areas for food preparation street food, according to a survey carried out last •Free from pests including cats, dogs, rodents, flies, insects, birds and year. The finding should be vermin applicable to Ipoh as well. •Observe good personal hygiene and handling practices Most consumers do not of- •Food should be covered ficially lodge a complaint Fixed stall in hawker centre – note food behind glass for •Order preferably hot-freshly-cooked food by the portion. hygiene purposes when falling ill after eat- Your Community Newspaper IPOH ECHO JUNE 16 - 30, 2009 3 www.ipohecho.com.my IPOH Editorial echoYour Community Newspaper IPOH – A FIREFLY AWAY PRO-ACTIVE COUNCILLORS was an eye 2008 opening year for most residents of Ipoh City who until last year did not know who their local councillor representing each of the 22 zones was. When a new batch of councillors was sworn-in, in July, they freely shared their mobile numbers and some even their email addresses with their residents. K.H. Tan & wife at Taman Wah Keong. Notice the 2 tone shades on the wall of the Where they used to drain – denoting the new and older walls. take their issues to the twice within ten days. Mrs state assemblyman, the 10) late last year, the turn- Tan showed me a photo of residents have now found out by the residents was the flood where the back L-R: Hanson Lau (PCCCI), Dato Gan Tack Kong themselves with a local more than the MBI work- lane was a flowing stream (FMM), Angelina Fernandez (Firefly), Dato’ Khadri voice acting between them ers. This prompted Mayor of water. Two years ago (DPMM Perak), Lim Si Boon (MICCI) and Yap Fu Fah and MBI instead, a state of Roshidi to comment that when Tan complained to (Parlo Tours). affairs which they’re hop- he was pleased with the MBI an inspector came but ing will continue. new development. irefly Managing Di- Friday and Sunday. The no action was taken. Ipoh Echo was in- A new development rector Eddy Leong flight time takes 1 hour 20 This time when Liu F formed that zones 8 and 10 indeed. Apparently the and his team were in Ipoh minutes and departs from got involved he solved were active and decided to positive actions of pro-ac- June 8 to announce the Changi Low Cost Terminal the problem by raising the check them out. tive councillors have man- much anticipated com- Singapore at 2.50 p.m. drain’s wall by 2 feet. All Zone 8 consists of the aged to raise the bar of civ- mencement of the Singa- From Ipoh the departure this was done in less than housing estates of Tembok, ic consciousness which has pore-Ipoh flight effective time is 4.45pm.