MBI takes steps to ensure toilets in food premises meet BMW grade

IPOH - The Ipoh City Council (MBI) is working towards its goal of having all public toilets in food premises achieve the BMW (clean, attractive and fragrant) status from next year.

Ipoh mayor Datuk Rumaizi Baharin said among the efforts being made are holding engagement sessions with restaurant associations involved and briefings on how to upgrade toilets to the BMW standards, as well as intensifying checks and monitoring of public toilets.

"MBI has also organised a competition for the cleanest food premises and public toilet and offers advice and guidance to premises owners in meeting the grade,” he told Bernama here.

He said the steps taken were based on instructions and guidelines issued by the Local Government Department (JKT) and the Local Government Development Ministry (KPKT).

In the meantime, he said the decision to impose toilet status conditions for the issuance and renewal of business licences would be reviewed based on the situation and JKT’s instructions.

"The ministry is refining and improving the implementation mechanism to ensure that food premises toilets achieve the BMW grade,” he said.

According to Rumaizi, as of June 26, a total of 592 or 66 per cent of the 897 toilets at restaurants and eateries under MBI’s purview have been rated four stars and above.

Some 288 compound notices worth RM67,500 were issued under UUK 4 (1) of the Food Operators Bylaw 1981 for various offences including the cleanliness of public toilets, he added.

"The cooperation and commitment of every restaurant and food premises owner is essential to improve the star rating from three to four stars and further meet the BMW criteria by the end of this year,” he said.

Early this year, KPKT minister Nga Kor Ming said that food and beverage premises located in city councils nationwide might fail to get their business licences renewed next year if their toilets do not achieve the 'A' certification standard set by the ministry.

He said the decision was in line with the BMW standard public toilet approach that he announced in January this year.

Nga had expressed the hope that all 155 local authorities nationwide could establish a public toilet hygiene monitoring unit and carry out maintenance work according to schedule to ensure that public toilets in the country are always in an orderly, clean and well-functioning condition. - BERNAMA