It’s the New Year, which means it’s time for a fresh starts.

With the fresh starts, comes with a new announcement. As of today (Jan 1), all workers at Food and Beverage (F&B) restaurants and eateries in Selangor are mandated to wear masks.

According to the Selayang Municipal Council (MPS), this order would apply to all food handlers and cooks, regardless of whether they work in restaurants or hawker centers. In addition, MPS remarked that compound fines will be imposed on those who disregard this directive, which is also a requirement for obtaining a business license.

Earlier in December last year, the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) announced that it would enforce the mandatory mask mandate on restaurant workers and hawkers from the new year (2023) onwards. Najmuddin Jemain, the MPKj council president said the mandatory face mask ruling for food handlers and cooks in Selangor was decided on 7th September during the state government’s council meeting.

“This is among initiatives to ensure that workers who handle food and drinks are accustomed to wearing masks as a means to ensure cleanliness in eateries,” he quoted.

Speaking to Varnam Malaysia, Sahanna Mohan, an employee working at the capital of Malaysia said “This is a good move as food is being processed in a hygienic way. Furthermore, the coronavirus is still active and we know how fast it can spread from one to one. It is also a good approach to prevent the virus from spreading,” she wrapped.

Keep in mind that face masks are still required on public transportation, such as buses, trains, flights, taxis, and e-hailing vehicles, as well as in hospitals and medical facilities.