KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Operators Association (Presma) has agreed to stop the sale of cigarettes on all its registered premises by next year.
Presma president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan announced this after a discussion with all its members during the association’s recent annual general meeting.
Jawahar said the decision was a step in-line with the Health Ministry’s call to ban smoking in food establishments.
“We believe this is the right way forward to support the ministry’s recommendations. We want to work together with the ministry to eliminate cigarette sales at all our member restaurants.
“This move would raise awareness about impact of smoking,” he said.
He said about 50 per cent of restaurant owners under Presma had stopped selling cigarettes at their restaurants, and the association viewed this as a step toward better health and hygiene standards.
Jawahar said that during the annual general meeting, the restaurant owners discussed issues related to cleanliness, highlighting the importance of providing the best possible service to the public.
“Presma offers guidance to its members on how to apply for the Halal Certification from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim).
“We encourage restaurant owners to obtain the Clean and Safe (BeSS) certification from the Health Ministry to ensure the members follow the standard operating procedures set by the authorities,” he said.
He also said discussions were also held on the increasing wages issue and its members’ contributions to the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) for their foreign workers.
“The government should reconsider the minimum wage increase, particularly within the food and beverage industry since we provide our workers with adequate meals and accommodations.”
Source: NST
