PENANG wants traders and hawkers operating in its city council premises to ensure cleanliness and safety besides preserving taste to showcase the state's standing as a leading gastronomic haven for the country.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow called on them to remain steadfast in upholding the highest standards of cleanliness, food quality and customer service, as it will cement the state's reputation as the street food haven.
Speaking at the Penang Island CIty Council (MBPP)'s Hawkers’ Day 2025 celebration at the Jen Hotel, Chow pointed out that having a clean premise, will go a long way towards promoting tasty food and to lure more tourists.
“In our continued efforts to ensure Penang remains clean, green, safe and healthy, I would like to urge all traders and hawkers to strengthen the practice of waste segregation at source, reduce the use of single-use plastics and manage used cooking oil responsibly," said Chow.
“These measures are vital to preserving Penang’s standing as one of the country’s top culinary and tourism destinations,” he said.
Chow also reiterated that the state will lobby its nomination of 10 proposed Penang street food to be listed as national heritage items under the National Heritage Department.
The dishes are nasi kandar, pasembur, mee udang, mee sotong, roti benggali, char koay kak (fried rice cake), hokkien mee, mee jawa, oh chien (fried oyster omelette) and kerabu meehoon.
“If successful, this will pave the way for these iconic foods to be nominated to Unesco as intangible cultural heritage of global significance."
The listing will ensure that Penang’s world-renowned gastronomy continues to be protected, promoted and celebrated for future generations.
Among the MBPP hawker premises, who were adjudged as the best managed, were No 9 Komplexs Taman Terubong Jaya, which is operated by P. Thanaletchimi, Chagee Maritime Pizza at the Karpal SIngh Drive Hawker Centre, Secangkir Kopi Hitam outlet in Clarke Street and Desa Permata night market in Paya Terubong.
Other winners were No 11 (coffee house outlet) at Hotel Angsana, and Noorjahan SIkanda who manages the No 1 Komplexs Lorong Kulit. - December 4, 2025.
