GEORGE TOWN – Penang police have called on the state government to come up with a clearer definition of restaurants and eateries operating in the state to prevent any abuse of permits ahead of the country’s move into the endemic stage next month.
State police chief Datuk Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain acknowledged the “grey areas” involving some outlets that have converted their licensing from nightclubs to restaurants, despite still serving liquor.
He said the police force has clamped down on several nightclubs that continue to operate in defiance of the law due to concerns that such places are high-risk areas under the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The onus is on the state government to outline what is the proper definition of nightclubs, restaurants, and bistros here.
“We do not want any disparities.”
As the lead agency in enforcing the standard operating procedures (SOPs) under the pandemic before moving into the endemic stage, Shuhaily told a media briefing here that the police force will take advice from the National Security Council and Health Ministry.
The police force, he said, will continue to enforce the revised SOPs, but needs assistance from the local authorities and the public to check the tide of rising cases of Covid-19.
“If restaurants are supposed to mostly be selling food, they should not be selling liquor,” he said.
Shuhaily also supported the notion of reducing the operating hours of restaurants, citing that in the United Kingdom or Australia, the closing time is between 8pm to 9pm.
“But in Malaysia, there are outlets operating up to 1am and some are illegally operating around the clock.
“We should also safeguard our health. How can we do it if food places are operating 24 hours?
“I ask you, is it good for our health…to constantly be eating?” he said.
The pandemic, he said, has given humanity a chance to reset their lifestyle by giving more emphasis to wellness and to stay away from social ills.
He said that police will have no choice but to enforce SOPs even during the endemic stage as he does not envision that cases will immediately go back to pre-pandemic levels.
The wearing of masks and physical distancing as well as personal hygiene, he opined, should continue in the foreseeable future even if the country enters the endemic stage.
Meanwhile, The Vibes is trying to reach out to state local government exco Jagdeep Singh Deo for a response to Shuhaily’s comments.
Yesterday, Penang reported 1,307 new cases with four deaths, including one brought in dead.
The state, according to the CovidNow portal, has among the most deaths per one million people, with 35 deaths recorded in the past two weeks.
A total of 1,911 people have died from the virus in Penang. – The Vibes, March 22, 2022
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