APRIL 25 — It is difficult to agree with the suggestion by the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) to the government that eateries must shut before midnight and to repeal their 24-hour operating licence. This call by CAP lacks constructive solutions.
As diversity is the hallmark of Malaysia’s composition, different individuals from different industries and communities have their own unique needs.
24-hour food outlets provide significant convenience for certain segments of society, for example early risers and tourists, and, in particular, employees assigned to night shift duties. These people are assured that they have access to meals and beverages at odd hours. Hence, the services of 24-hour food outlets are crucially important for these groups.
It is therefore impossible to support CAP’s proposal to shorten the operating hours and scrap the operating licence of 24-hour eateries.
Cultivating healthy eating habits and lifestyles should begin with education and publicity rather than with restrictions and prohibitions. As society is not akin to a school nor dormitory; excessive restrictions in society can lead to unintended consequences.
Forcibly reducing the operating hours for eateries is not only detrimental to Malaysia's investment climate but also contrary to our goal of promoting tourism development. Key tourist areas such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, and Johor Bahru particularly need to maintain a flexible and adaptable business environment to meet the demands of domestic and international visitors.
NGOs should focus on education and publicity rather than asserting pressure unto the government to introduce new directives / regulations which curtail people's choices.
Encouraging healthy lifestyles is encouraged. Nevertheless, society needs to respect that individuals make their own choices over food intake and businesses also need to carry on. Most important is for food outlets or hawkers to maintain hygiene and sanitation of their premises and ensure that ingredients are fresh, do not contain contrabands and have not gone past their use-by dates. Our goals should aim towards creating an inclusive and supportive environment instead of restricting people’s access to meals via prohibitions.
The government needs to consider the needs of all industries and communities and to continue supporting 24-hour operating eateries, with government decisions being focused on the best interest of society.
*This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
