Penang Planning to Ban Foreigners from Cooking Local Food in Hawker Centres & Food Courts

By
Shernice Sim
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If you’ve ever been to Penang, you know it’s a gastronomic paradise. From the spicy, tangy flavours of assam laksa to the smoky char kway teow, the island’s hawker fare is legendary.

In recent years however, there’s been a buzz (and not the good kind) about the quality of the food. Locals have noticed a dip in taste, and they’re pointing fingers at foreign cooks.

So, what’s Penang doing about it? They’re thinking of banning foreigners from cooking local dishes in hawker centres and food courts.

Not Just a Local Government Thing Anymore

This whole “keep our food authentic” mission isn’t anything new.

Back in 2016, Penang Island City Council (MBPP) introduced a ban on foreign cooks in state-owned hawker centres and markets.

The move got mixed reviews—some loved it, others not so much. But now, government backbenchers are pushing for a broader ban to include private eateries, and it might just happen.

Mr Jason H’ng, Penang’s state executive councillor for local government, town and country planning, says the expansion aims to preserve the authenticity of Penang’s famous street food.

Plus, it could create more job opportunities for locals and cut down on the dependency on foreign labour. So, there’s that.

More recently on 15 July, City Council member Ms Tan Soo Siang revealed plans to extend the ban to all private coffee shops and hawker centres in an effort to preserve food quality and encourage locals, especially the younger generation, to continue their family hawker stall business.

Since 2016, the council has only issued warning letters to violators in the private sector. However, 17 hawkers from government-owned centres had their licences revoked by January 2018.

Ms Tan mentioned that the council is currently studying by-laws to take action against local hawkers hiring foreign cooks.

This proposed expansion will be discussed in an upcoming council meeting, with enforcement expected shortly after, potentially by September. And who knows, it might even stretch to Seberang Perai on mainland Penang in the future.

What’s Cooking?

So, what types of food are we talking about?

The ban applies to 13 local street food favourites: nasi lemak, assam laksa, pasembor (Indian rojak), mee sotong (squid noodles), char kway teow (stir-fried flat rice noodles), kway teow soup, prawn mee, curry mee, wonton mee, loh bak (five-spice meat rolls), chee cheong fun (rice noodle rolls), char kway kak (fried rice cake), and oyster omelette. Quite a list, right?

There are people who welcome the ban, believing that hawkers receiving licences should cook the food themselves or have family members do it. This ensures the quality and cleanliness of the dishes.

However, not everyone’s thrilled, as finding local staff for cooking roles can be tough. Some hawkers fear that the policy might be counterproductive if Penang is the only state enforcing it.

Some feel assured that the ban won’t significantly impact them as stall owners usually handle the cooking while foreign workers typically assist with tasks like dishwashing. 

Public opinion is also pretty split. A survey by the Penang Municipal Council found that a majority of respondents favour the ban, believing that local food should be cooked by locals to maintain its authenticity.

However, there are those who feel that if foreigners can cook just as well, they should be allowed to do so.

(Huh, that’s actually a good point; what if the foreigner is a better cook than the local? If Singapore had a similar ban, would we still maintain our reputation as a food paradise or would we just turn to foreign cuisines..?)

Renowned Malaysian celebrity chef Redzuawan Ismail, also known as Chef Wan, called the proposal ridiculous, suggesting it would make Malaysia a laughing stock.

On the flip side, food critic and Malaysia Association of Hotels vice-president Datuk Khoo Boo Lim supports the ban, saying that Penang’s hawker fare helps position the state as the nation’s culinary capital.

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Shernice Sim