GEORGE TOWN, July 31 ― Penang state executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo has warned all food outlets, including restaurants and cafes, to ensure their premises are clean as the local council will step up enforcement.

The local government and housing development committee chairman said the Penang Island City Council (MBPP) was given strict instructions to step up on its operations to check all food outlets for cleanliness.

"Recently, MBPP together with the state health department have been conducting regular checks on food outlets in Penang and this is good,” he said.

He said George Town was awarded the "Cleanest Tourist City in Asean” early this year so the state has to ensure that it lived up to this title.

"This is in line with our slogan of cleaner, greener Penang so I want to ensure that all public areas including food outlets are clean,” he said.

He said between 2015 and 2018 now, the state health department had closed down 165 food outlets for violating cleanliness guidelines.

MBPP has issued a total 28,636 compounds to food establishments between 2008 and 2018 and 2,112 compounds for not installing grease traps within the same period.

"I want to warn all food outlet operators to maintain the cleanliness of their premises, jangan main-main with the state government because we will not tolerate any outlet that flout the cleanliness guidelines,” he said.

He commended MBPP and the Mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang for continuing with its enforcement actions against food outlets.

"We need to continue with this so that we can live up to our cleanest tourist city award,” he said.