Tebedu rep supports Protection of Public Health (Amendment) Bill 2024, prohibition of animals being brought to eateries

Dr Simon Sinang Bada

By Wilfred Pilo

KUCHING, May 7: Tebedu assemblyman Dr Simon Sinang Bada has voiced his agreement with the introduction of the Protection of Public Health (Amendment) Bill 2024, asserting that it is timely and aligned with the needs and demands of both the government and the people.

Dr Sinang emphasised the necessity of the amendment to maintain a clean, sustainable, and livable environment.

He highlighted the significance of the amendment to Section 23, which prohibits animals or pets from being brought into any food premises by customers or reared by the owner, occupier, or any stall holder of any food premises.

“The amendment should garner support from the members in this august house,” he urged.

Dr Sinang stressed the importance of ensuring the cleanliness of food premises to meet the standards set by local councils.

“The council must continue to monitor and grade food premises,” he stated during his debate in support of the Protection of Public Health (Amendment) Bill, 2024 at Dewan Undangan Sarawak (DUS) today.

He advocated for food premises to be graded either A or B based on their cleanliness status and suggested that those receiving a Grade C should be closed until improvements are made and authorities are satisfied with the measures taken.

Dr Sinang highlighted the dangers of zoonotic diseases, emphasizing that diseases such as toxoplasmosis, cat scratch disease, and rabies can be transmitted from animals to humans.

“For these reasons, it is justified and rational to disallow any pets from being brought into eating premises or reared by the premises owner or stall holder of any food premises,” he concluded. — DayakDaily