TAWAU: The Tawau Area Health Office has issued 14 offence notices to Ramadan bazaar traders after inspecting 82 premises in the district as of the seventh day of Ramadan.
Tawau Area Health Officer Dr Shameer Khan Sulaiman said the inspections, which involved 60 personnel, were conducted at several major bazaars, including Fujimart, Sabindo and the Bataras car park area.
Among the offences detected were violations of Regulation 32(1)(b) under the Food Hygiene Regulations 2009, specifically for failing to comply with food handler clothing requirements.
“Offences under Regulation 11(1)(b) were also detected, where employers engaged food handlers without valid food handling training certificates,” he added.
Dr Shameer also noted several other infractions involving personal hygiene, such as long fingernails, wearing hand jewellery, failing to attend food handler courses and the use of dirty utensils.
Speaking to the media following the Ramadan Bazaar Operations and the 2026 Tuberculosis Health Promotion Programme at Sabindo on Wednesday, Dr Shameer said there are 20 Ramadan bazaar locations throughout Tawau, and his team will continue inspections until the end of Ramadan to ensure food hygiene standards are maintained.
He acknowledged, however, that compliance levels among hawkers had improved, with a better understanding of food safety practices than in previous years.
Dr Shameer said the department recently took a case to court involving the offence of providing a breeding ground for Aedes mosquito larvae, following a rise in dengue cases in the district.
“After being compounded and still failing to comply with instructions, the case was brought to court, where the magistrate imposed a fine of RM3,500,” he said, adding that 264 dengue cases had been recorded in Tawau to date.
He noted that while there had been a slight increase in cases earlier, the trend is now declining due to aggressive enforcement actions and cooperation between various parties.
Several hotspot areas were identified, including Taman Mas, Taman Semarak, and Kampung Titingan.
To address the issue, the department is working closely with the District Disaster Management Committee, local leaders, the community, Neighbourhood Watch (KRT), and relevant agencies, while intensifying “gotong-royong” (communal cleaning) activities.
Environmental cleanliness campaigns and Health Ministry programmes, such as Combi (Communication for Behavioural Impact), continue to be implemented to ensure dengue cases remain under control, particularly ahead of the festive season.
