During my recent tourism mission to Hong Kong, I observed that many economies that successfully transformed themselves into a high-income developed economy, share common critical success factors (CSF) with Hong Kong.

Amongst the common CSFs are rule of law, open markets, good governance, Integrity in leadership, focus on building and retaining human talent, a livable city that is clean, green safe and healthy; as well as building democratic institutions that respects diversity and human dignity.

Also there is a similar institution like the Independent Commission against Corruption (ICAC) in Hong Kong to fight corruption effectively. Penang can learn, emulate and adopt the same CSFs to achieve our vison of becoming an international and intelligent city that is developed with a high-income economy. However, Penang aspires to have our own unique and special identity. We do not want to be a carbon copy of Seoul, Hong Kong or Singapore.

Penang can stand out and be different. Our principal key asset that makes Penang different and attractive is our street food, rated by many as the best in the world. My conversation with the Hong Kong tourism industry reaffirmed the important role played by street food or hawker fare as the essential ingredient that defines Penang and is our top draw for tourists.

Penang’s famous street food not only separates the flavor of Penang from other tourist destinations but also infuses life and spirit into our cultural diversity and multi-ethnic heritage. For this reason, we must retain the quality and the unique flavor of Penang food cooked by locals.

To protect, preserve and promote our top attraction of hawker food, the Penang state government is inviting public feedback on whether banning foreigners from cooking at hawker stalls can ensure that our favourite hawker food remains the same and retains the unique penang flavour.

This proposed prohibition only applies to foreigners and not Malaysians and only to hawker stalls and not restaurants. Such proposed prohibition is also consistent with the legal rule that hawker stall licences can only be given to Malaysian citizens and not foreigners.

The proposed prohibition does not apply to those foreign workers who help in serving customers or washing up. It seeks only to bar foreigners from cooking at local hawker stalls. I regret that some mainstream media has falsely distorted and twisted my suggestion to examples of banning non-Penangites from being a hawker in Penang or “banning those not Hainanese from cooking Hainanese chicken” or that hawkers cannot employ foreigners as helpers.  

The Penang state government is jealously protective of our famous Penang hawker food. We are concerned at famous foodstalls in other towns and cities in Malaysia being cooked by foreigners leading to a decline in the taste and quality. Whilst this is still not a problem in Penang, this latest proposal and request for public feedback is an initiative to prevent our unique Penang flavours from “mutating” to a foreign taste if foreign workers are allowed to cook at hawker stalls.

The public and hawkers can give their feedback to the two local councils Mahlis Perbandaran Pulau Pinang (MPPP) and Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai (MPSP), who will making announcements on how to collect public feedback. Both local councils will also take into account the public feedback gathered in the local newspapers.

LIM GUAN ENG is Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general.