‘Disgusting’ video shows Malaysian restaurant’s dirty habit

It’s definitely worth doing a bit of research before dining at a new restaurant as even the cleanest and most popular places can be hiding a dirty secret.

This advice comes after a shocking video was released this week of staff at a popular Malaysian restaurant washing dishes in a muddy roadside puddle. 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=C6Px8se15XQ%3Frel%3D0

Raj Banana Leaf in Kuala Lumpur was forced to officially close its doors on Wednesday morning after the Ministry of Health (MOH) issued three notices of offence for hygiene and health-related issues.

In a statement, the authorities detailed the offences that led to their closure.

“The ministry views seriously the matter and had issued three notices of offence under the Food Act 1983, namely for failing to get anti-typhoid jabs and attend training for food handlers, failing to register the restaurant with the MOH, and failing to maintain the premises and keep it free from pests,” the statement read.

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The disgraced restaurant released a statement on their official Facebook page apologising for the incident. 

The post currently has around 7,300 reactions and 9,200 comments from upset customers. Management placed the blame on “newly recruited staffs” and assured customers they pass health inspections regularly.

However, this is far from an isolated incident when it comes to health and food regulations, and unfortunately, Australian restaurants are no exception. 

ABC reported that restaurants in Canberra can go up to five years without being audited due to minimal resources. A take-away chicken shop in the country’s capital was closed due to pests found in raw meat, chicken festering in unsafe temperatures and exposed food and rubbish on the storeroom floor. 

It has since reopened, but has not been inspected since this 2016 as the ACT Government Health Protection Service stated it had not received any customer complaints.

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New South Wales’ policy is much more assuring with the use of a comprehensive online register of penalty notices. To promote healthy dining, the state government provides the public with accessible information detailing all venues that have committed an offence. It applies a “name and shame” policy that offers the public the name of the restaurant, the offence, the charge and the address.

All other states are yet to make their information as available for public access.

Whether you’re travelling to a new exotic country or simply just interstate, always be wary of where you are dining. The conditions of how your food is prepared and served could be the one thing that will make or break your holiday.