PD oh PD

Ahead of holiday season, PD stalls get reminder on cleanliness

By SARBAN SINGH

PORT DICKSON: This resort town's status as one of the country's top tourist destinations has taken a beating after health authorities here closed 25 out of 33 food premises during an exercise.
The restaurants were ordered shut for 14 days from Saturday for contravening several provisions under the Food Act 1983 and the Food Regulations 1985.
State health department director Datin Dr Zailan Adnan said the exercise was carried along popular tourists spots.
"People are going to start coming to PD in droves as the school holidays are only a few days away. We want to ensure the food sold here is prepared under strict hygiene conditions and the restaurants are clean and presentable," she told reporters here Monday.
Among the reasons for the closure was poor hygienic conditions, food handlers failing to get innoculation for typhoid, failure to wear aprons and to cover their heads, and the failure by the operator to provide a place to clean the cooking utensils.
Some of the outlets were also dirty and rubbish was not disposed of properply.
Among the areas covered in the exercise were Lukut, Taman Desa Permai, Taman Politeknik and Teluk Kemang.
Officers from the health departments in Jelebu, Kuala Pilah, Seremban, Rembau and Port Dickson were also roped in the exercise.
Dr Zailan said the outlets were closed as they had failed to secure more than 65% marks in a cleanliness test.
"We closed 19 restaurants, two shops and four stalls for being in poor condition. We have ordered them to take remedial measures within the two weeks before we can allow them to reopen," she said adding that Port Dickson Municipal Council officers had also issued the operators with compounds.
Dr Zailan said the authorities had advised the operators to always adhere to the rules and run their businesses under strict hygiene conditions.
She said her officers also distributed flyers to other food operators during the exercise.
"We do not want people coming down with cholera, typhoid or other illnesses when they come for holidays here. We will carry out more such exercises and act against errant operators so that people can have their food without having to worry about falling ill," she said.
Dr Zailan also urged the public to notify the authorities if they came across food handlers at outlets who did not observe cleanliness.

Nothing new for those who love PD. Sometime I wonder why can't the local council or the state government emulate what others are doing. The just seem to miss the whole issue and never seem to value PD beaches. Please do something to ensure PD remains a premium holiday destination for most people residing in Klang valley. So beautiful beaches with calm water,but yet the state government don't even have a proper blue print to exploit it potential. 

Cleaning up and continuous maintenance should be an ongoing agenda here in PD. The state councilor in-charge of tourism should know his function well, or at least if he don't know what to do, get somebody who know how to go about in making PD a wonderful holiday destination. PD is just like pearl in the mud. Nobody seem to care....