KUCHING: Any coffee shop in MBKS area allowing foreigners to operate foodstall at the premises will have their licence terminated, MBKS’ Mayor Dato James Chan Khay Syn warned. Chan said Tuesday so far he had not come across foodstalls operated by foreigners at coffee shops or foodoutlets in areas under MBKS.
“I mean those kopitiams that Mayor used to frequent, so far I see only locals. For example, those at Stutong Market or even Petanak Market, all these must be locals. Licencees cannot be anybody else, only our own people. “But I don’t think it is as frequent (rampant) as like in some other states in West Malaysia. You can see that straight away they are foreigners.
“But I think Kuching is still very localised, I would say,” he said when met after MBKS full council meeting here Tuesday.
“In terms of licencing, it is only locals. We don’t allow foreigners to operate foodstalls unless they have to apply through Labour Department for the proper permit on this,” Chan said. ‘I don’t see foreigners operating foodstalls in coffee shops in the city area.
I don’t see. There is none that I know of. Last time I used to go to lots of kopitiam I seldom see. I don’t know about workers or servers. But Kuching is so small a place. We don’t receive any complaints. There may be some naughty ones, maybe, but we don’t know. Definitely we cannot give them licence unless they have work permit,” Chan said.
“They can apply for work permit with the Labour Department, but generally speaking, there is none that I know of,” Chan stressed.
“Let’s say like a market we are very…we have staff practically 7 days a week. So we don’t, whereas in other places, I noted even in council markets there is also no foreigner. “But in Semananjung it is an issue, but not in Kuching, especially in MBKS area, I am not certain. I cannot talk about others, but in MBKS area I would say very steady,” he stressed.
Asked if MBKS will carry out operation against foreign foodstall operators, Chan said, normally, it involved the Immigration Department. “Normally if they do go around, let’s say if they are on this aspect, they would always request MBKS’ health officer to follow in the joint operation. But normally the operation will be led by them.
If there is any operation by the Police or Immigration, they will normally call MBKS, the same with Health Department, if there is a need.
“We have no problem in Kuching as Kuching is so small. But if there are any coffee shop allowing foreigners to operate food stalls, we will go against the ones whoever we give licence because they just can’t operate like that, and we can cancel their licence immediately.
If you are lending your licence to somebody else, we will terminate immediately. “If there are any coffee shop allowing foreigners to operate food stalls, we will take action to terminate their licence also because it is not allowed. Under our condition, it is not allowed as it is breaking the law. And we prefer our own locals,” the MBKS Mayor said.
