LUNCH BREAK: Unlicensed hawkers taking advantage of the student traffic outside school gates.
KUCHING: Some concerned parties have voiced worries that the illegal hawkers operating outside SK Samariang may be endangering the health and safety of the students by not adhering to any food safety practices.
In a letter addressed to Kuching City North Commission (DBKU), State Education Department and State Health Department, the complainant urged the authorities to investigate this matter.
Claiming that the hawkers are selling pickled fruit with potentially harmful preservatives and using water that was not boiled, the complainant feared that these illegal traders might not take responsibility if something happened to the students.
“I urge the relevant authorities to look into this matter and take action before it is too late,” said the letter, which was also delivered to The Borneo Post and Utusan Borneo.
The illegal hawkers operate during peak school hours for breakfast from 6.30am to 7.10am, and during lunch time from 12pm to 1.30pm.
The Borneo Post and Utusan Borneo also found illegal hawkers operating outside another school in the Samariang area.
When contacted, DBKU public relations officer Norhayati Bidin said that trying to keep illegal hawkers to toe the line usually turns into a game of cat and mouse.
“The hawkers will run off when our enforcement officers appear at the scene, and come back once the coast is clear,” she said.
She added that the normal action was to warn these hawkers verbally, followed by written warnings before DBKU cite them.
Norhayati added that they were not in the position to take samples of the goods sold because this will be indirectly acknowledging that the hawkers have legal grounds to be there.
Taking samples for lab testing is only done if there is cause for concern among licensed traders, she said.
She also assured that their enforcement officers would conduct checks from time to time in all such cases.
The Borneo Post was unable to reach Samariang assemblywoman Sharifah Hasidah Sayeed Aman Ghazali for her comment on the situation.