A canteen at a Tamil national-type school (SJKT) in the state has been ordered to suspend operations for 14 days after a health inspection discovered rat droppings at the premises.
Penang Education Director, Mohammad Dziauddin Mat Saad, said the closure order took effect from 12pm on Thursday until 27 May.
He said the action was taken after monitoring found rat droppings on the floor behind an unused refrigerator in the school canteen.
“Following the discovery, a closure order for an unhygienic food premises was issued under Section 11 of the Food Act 1983,” he said when contacted on Friday.
However, he confirmed that no food poisoning cases involving students or teachers have been reported so far.
He added that the school has taken immediate steps to ensure students continue receiving meals through an external food supplier during the closure period.
“The school has acted swiftly by appointing a temporary contractor to provide meals for students while the canteen remains closed,” he said.
“Cleaning and sanitisation works are also being carried out intensively at the canteen, in line with instructions from the District Health Office and the Ministry of Health Malaysia, to ensure the premises are safe before operations are allowed to resume,” he added.
