City council looks to regulate home-based food businesses

Pasir Gudang City Council (MBPG) is preparing a new policy to manage home-based businesses, especially those that sell food online.

Pasir Gudang mayor Datuk Asman Shah Abd Rahman said the paperwork was expected to be completed by the end of this year before being brought up for discussion with the Greater Johor Baru Task Force.

“We are currently studying this matter from a legal point of view, especially the safety and quality of the food that is being sold.

“There have been reports of home-based businesses being started mostly during the Covid-19 pandemic, and some of them have continued to operate.

“There is a need for a government policy on this matter so that we can safeguard the public,” he said.

Asman Shah said the city council had identified a number of home-based businesses in Pasir Gudang that mostly operated with the help of food-delivery companies.

“There are also unlicensed businesses that are sending their food via unregistered runners.

“There are many angles we need to look at to ensure proper planning before we can take up this matter with the other local councils under Greater JB.

“We want this policy to be introduced at other local councils as well, so that information and standard operating procedures on how to handle home-based businesses are streamlined.

“If they are licensed, it means that they have been given typhoid vaccine injections and have attended a food safety course,” the mayor elaborated.

Asman Shah noted there were cases where a house had been used as a stall selling food and other goods, which was a violation of the law.

“Housing areas are designated as residential lots and to conduct a business, it has to be on a commercial lot,” he said.

Four municipal councils in southern Johor are currently teaming up under the “Greater Johor Baru” umbrella, which will feature streamlined management, public safety and security, and policies for a sustainable and liveable city.

The local councils involved are MBPG, Johor Baru City Council, Iskandar Puteri City Council and Kulai Municipal Council.