GEORGE TOWN: Starting next year, licenses for all food courts or coffeeshops allowing foreigners to prepare 13 types of local dishes will be revoked under a new ruling being prepared for approval.
The 13 food items include Nasi Lemak, Assam Laksa, Pasembor, Mee Sotong, Char Kway Teow, Kway Teow Soup, Prawn Mee, Curry Mee, Won Ton Mee, Loh Bak, Chee Cheong Fun, Char Kway Kak and Oyster Omelette.
At present, the ruling is only for hawker centres and food courts in Penang Island City Council (MBPP)-owned premises.
MBPP councillor Tan Soo Siang said they had been getting countless complaints to preserve the taste of the local food.
"At the moment, we are in the final stages of drafting the paper to set a condition that the 13 foods are not allowed to be cooked by foreigners....
"Once the paper is passed in our full council, we will certainly give a grace period for them to do the necessary adjustments.
"Most probably, the new ruling will be enforced next year.
"Those which fail to comply will first be issued with notices. If they still fail to comply, then they will have their licences revoked," she told the New Straits Times.
Previously, the state government implemented a ban on foreign cooks for all hawker centres and food courts belonging to MBPP.
The ban was introduced in 2014 and implemented since 2016.
Meanwhile, netizens had mixed reaction to the new ruling to be enforced.
Alvin Wong said, as a proud Penangite, this is a long-term initiative to preserve some of the heritage of beloved local Penang cuisine.
"This is not discrimination but a much-needed move to ensure that the skills are passed down, although I must admit hawking is hard work," he said.
John Kee said he was in full support of MBPP's move.
"Foreigners cannot cook as local people know the culture of our food tastes," he added.
Anitha Sudo said it was a good move because the quality had dropped with the foreign cooks.
She noted that stall licences should be to individuals and it must not be rented out.
Saif Azam said other states should follow to preserve "our heritage and originality."
Meanwhile, others disagreed with the move.
Todd Bancroft said the ability of someone to cook a dish well has nothing to do with their ethnicity, skin color or the passport they hold.
Lean Soh said it was a completely regressive move.
"Such discriminatory practices have no place in modern society.
"Just imagine the uproar if the shoe was on the other foot (for example Malaysians should not be allowed to cook cakes, pastries and others) as that is not their 'traditional' food," Soh added.
BK Teh said what is most important is hygiene, tasty food with reasonable price.