RESTAURANT operators in Kuala Lumpur who utilise public sidewalks in front of their shops for cooking or selling of food, will have their goods confiscated for violating City Hall by-laws and endangering the public.

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) officers sprang into action when a Brickfields resident posted in the Brickfields stakeholders’ WhatsApp chat group a picture of a shop operator frying food on the five-foot way outside the business premises.

The uploaded photograph showed that the eatery had placed a stove with a gas canister on the walkway.

Workers were frying samosa at the stove, then placing the deep-fried food in a pan kept heated on another burner.

DBKL enforcement officer Chief Inspector T. Rama Krishan was on his rounds when he saw the message and immediately went to the location to take action.

“At one glance, we saw that it was indeed dangerous. The stove had a wok of hot oil, was exposed and posed a danger to pedestrians, especially the visually impaired.

“Secondly, it was an obstruction, infringing DBKL by-laws under Section 46 of the Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974.

“We confiscated all the items that were placed on the walkway and gave the shop operators a warning not to repeat the offence,” he added.

Brickfields Rukun Tetangga chairman S.K.K. Naidu said hawkers had mushroomed over the past few years in Brickfields, and while he appreciated the fact that it was a means for the traders to do business, shopowners should not block public walkways.

“More and more outlets are taking up pedestrian space by obstructing the path with stoves, gas canisters, tables, chairs and pails used for cutting and cleaning vegetables.

“It is getting out of hand. We appreciate DBKL for removing the obstructions before someone got hurt,” he added.

A recent check by StarMetro in Brickfields showed that many restaurants were blocking the walkways with their tables and stoves. It was also a reason for the clogged drains and sidewalks strewn with litter.

“You can see the ground is greasy from the cooking oil and food scraps litter the sidewalk. We need to have regular enforcement,” said Naidu.

Meanwhile, Rama Krishnan urged the community to continue to highlight in the WhatsApp group any form of obstruction.

“We are carrying out enforcement regularly not only in Brickfields alone but the entire Kuala Lumpur.

“We welcome all the help we can get and hope the community will become our eyes and ears,” he said.