Penang seeks to widen ban on foreigners cooking local street food

Plan is to include all hawker centres to keep food authentic and ensure jobs for locals

- Hazlin Hassan,Lu Wei Hoongand Zunaira Saieed

Penang is planning to expand its ban on foreigners cooking local fare at hawker stalls and foodcourts, in a bid to preserve the northern Malaysian state’s status as a street food haven.

Initially enforced in 2016 at state-owned centres and markets, the ban drew mixed responses from the industry.

Now, a planned expansion to cover all hawkers across the island could come on the back of lobbying by government backbenchers for more rigorous enforcement.

“The initiative is important to preserve the authenticity of our Penang food,” Penang state executive councillor for local government, town and country planning Jason H’ng told The Straits Times.

Besides ensuring the quality of the dishes, the proposed move can also reduce dependency on foreign labour, said Mr H’ng.

“The extension of the ban can create more job opportunities for locals and reduce our dependence on migrant workers,” said Mr H’ng, who is in charge of local government affairs.

On July 15, a member of the City Council of Penang Island, Ms Tan Soo Siang, announced the proposed widening of the ban to cover privately owned coffee shops and hawker centres.