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Penang’s famous Hameediyah Restaurant fined RM10,000 after workers failed to to scan MySejahtera

Hameediyah Restaurant director Mohd Riyaaz (left) packing up nasi kandar for a customer to take away. ― Picture by Steven Ooi KE
Hameediyah Restaurant director Mohd Riyaaz (left) packing up nasi kandar for a customer to take away. ― Picture by Steven Ooi KE

GEORGE TOWN, Oct 15 — One of the popular nasi kandar restaurants in Penang, Hameediyah Restaurant, was slapped with a RM10,000 fine for not complying with the Covid-19 SOPs today as outstation visitors crowded the restaurant.

Its director Mohd Riyazz Syed Ibrahim said they have always complied with the SOPs but due to the crowds today, some of their staff forgot to scan their MySejahtera app when they came in to work.

“We have customers from Kuala Lumpur coming in, it is crowded and we are short-handed so sometimes, this was overlooked, it wasn’t intentional,” he said.

He said the RM10,000 fine meant that whatever revenue they made today will go towards paying for the fine.

“I admit it is our fault, but the authorities must also understand, we have suffered for so many months, our restaurant had to close for two weeks before this due to Covid-19 cases and now this,” he said.

The restaurant was ordered to close in early September due to Covid-19 cases among its staff.

He said they have even hired Rela personnel to help control the crowd to make sure compliance of the SOPs among the customers.

“It is not easy to get our customers to comply with the SOPs, some even scolded us for making them follow the SOPs so if the enforcement wants to issue fines, the sole responsibility should not only fall on the business owners,” he said.

He said most businesses are now hoping to earn back some revenue to cover the losses they’ve suffered in almost two years.

“This interstate travelling will be a boon to our business so we hope things will be better now,” he said.

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