KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur City Hall today carried out thorough cleaning and disinfection work at 19 wet markets as a safety precautionary measure against infectious diseases.
The cleaning and disinfection operation was carried out simultaneously at all 19 wet markets in nine constituencies, including those in Lembah Pantai and Titiwangsa.
The markets include Pasar Harian Selayang, Pasar Sentul, Pasar Batu 5, Pasar Batu 21/2, Pasar Raja Bot (Chow Kit], Pasar Genting Kelang, Pasar Klang Lama, Pasar Pekan Sg Besi, Pasar Besar Cheras, Pasar Taman Sri Sentosa, Pasar Besar Pudu and Pasar Pekan Salak Selatan.
Kuala Lumpur City Hall Mayor Datuk Nor Hisham Ahmad Dahlan said the cleaning and disinfection exercise at the markets were done in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has left more than 1,600 people in the country infected.
He said this was one of the council's ongoing initiatives to curb the spread of Covid-19 outbreak at public markets and to make the facilities cleaner and safer.
"Public markets must be kept clean at all times. Normally, the traders are responsible for such work daily but today, in light of Covid-19, City Hall has volunteered to help with the cleaning and the disinfection exercise.
"It is important that we step in and make sure a thorough work has been done," he said after visiting the Pasar Raja Bot here during the exercise this morning.
Nor Hisham said it is essential to ensure wet markets are cleaned according to the council's SOP and standards to ensure they are free of infectious diseases.
"We don't want to take any chances because markets are public place that are visited by hundreds of people daily,” he said, adding that the exercise will be repeated once a week, every Wednesday until the Movement Control Order (MCO) is revoked.
He added that the initiative was City Hall's joint effort with the Health Ministry, Environment Ministry along with Syarikat Konsesi Alam Flora Sdn Bhd (AFSB) and the Licensing and Hawker Development Department (JPPP).