By Wilfred Pilo
KUCHING, June 22: The Kuching South City Council (MBKS) has launched a Food Premises Cleanliness Campaign at the Song Kheng Hai Hawker Centre under the federal Ministry of Housing and Local Government’s (KPKT) Environmental Health Campaign Programme 2026, aimed at improving hygiene standards and safeguarding public health.
MBKS Mayor Dato Wee Hong Seng said the council was honoured to be nominated by KPKT to participate in the nationwide programme, which provides financial assistance to selected local authorities to carry out environmental health initiatives in their respective areas.
He said the campaign at Song Kheng Hai Hawker Centre began in May and will continue until July this year as part of a structured effort to strengthen cleanliness standards and promote good hygiene practices at one of Kuching’s popular food destinations.
He elaborated that the KPKT Environmental Health Campaign focuses on eight key areas to ensure public health and cleanliness: dengue prevention, rodent control, food premises hygiene, public toilet maintenance, cleanliness of public and night markets, and the management of stray dogs and pests.
He said MBKS remains committed to creating a city that is clean, healthy, and sustainable for all residents through continuous environmental health initiatives and public awareness programmes.
“The objectives of the campaign are to reduce the risk of food-borne and water-borne diseases, improve the cleanliness and image of food premises, enhance Kuching’s appeal as a tourism destination, and achieve higher standards of cleanliness through continuous improvement,” he said during the launch of the nationwide Food Premises Cleanliness Campaign held at the Song Kheng Hai Hawker Centre here today.
He highlighted that throughout the three-month campaign period, MBKS has been carrying out cleaning, maintenance, upgrading, and improvement works at the hawker centre in addition to its regular cleaning programmes.
Wee stressed that the active participation of hawkers and food operators is vital, urging them to take ownership of their business environment and collaborate with the council to ensure a clean, safe, and comfortable dining experience for all customers.
“We hope to cultivate greater awareness and encourage everyone to play their part in maintaining cleanliness standards for the benefit of the community,” he said.
Also present were MBKS Deputy Mayor Dato Zaiedi Suhaili, staff, and councillors. — DayakDaily
