The Kuala Lumpur Health Department ordered a popular Chinese restaurant on Jalan Imbi to close for 14 days due to sanitary issues.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 10 ― A popular Chinese restaurant on Jalan Imbi in Kuala Lumpur’s golden triangle business and retail district has been ordered to close for 14 days due to sanitary issues.

The order was issued by the Kuala Lumpur Health Department on January 8 and the business has been given until January 22 to comply with sanitation regulations.

“Yes, closed due to sanitary conditions and low rating (61 per cent),” department director Dr Param Jeeth Singh told Malay Mail in a text message today when contacted for confirmation.

He added that the order was made under Section 11 of the Food Act that states that health officers can order a restaurant to close for up to 14 days, without elaborating on the sanitation concerns.

Pictures of the restaurant closure notice have been circulating on social media in the last two days, ahead of Chinese New Year public holiday, which falls on January 25 and 26 in Malaysia.

The restaurant is rated four stars on Tripadvisor.

Under the Food Act, the Health Department will inspect the restaurant again before a decision is made on whether or not it will be allowed to reopen.

Failure to comply with the order is a criminal offence that can be punishable with a fine and up to five years imprisonment for the operator.

Subsequent checks showed the restaurant was open for business again today.

In a statement to Malay Mail, the Kuala Lumpur Health Department said the restaurant was allowed to operate again after having satisfied all cleanliness requirements.

“Based on the law, the notice of closure is two weeks, but if within that two weeks the restaurant shows satisfactory improvements, the temporary closure can be lifted.

“The restaurant applied for officers to make another assessment and it satisfied all requirements,” the department under the Health Ministry said.