Tong Sui Kai, literally Dessert Street, has increasingly gained popularity over the years. It is not uncommon to see flocks of people flooding the hawker stalls till wee hours of the morning.
Hawker food and Malaysians are inseparable, but at what cost?
Tong Sui Kai is located next to a main road, with a heavy flow of vehicles. Dust and exhaust smoke fill the air, while food is prepared and eaten right next to this road.
Ipoh Echo visited the site to find that unused pieces of wood were being dumped behind the stalls, and the building opposite the stalls was undergoing construction. This means tiles, cement and debris everywhere.
With the number of food poisoning cases steadily increasing over the years – where are our hygiene standards?
What has the Ipoh City Council been doing all this while?
Perhaps now is a good time to consider relocating these hawker stalls to ensure the stall owners are still able to feed their families, while simultaneously preventing traffic jams, and maintaining hygiene standards.
Our goal of a cleaner and better Ipoh feels like it is still light years away but taking one step forward is better than taking none at all.
Loshni Nair
