00:00Last month, 12 hawker stalls in Penang were caught with rats, cockroaches, and filthy counters.
00:07They were shut for two weeks, fined, and publicly named.
00:11Swift action, clear message, public health first.
00:15Now let's look at a much bigger setting, a family day at a theme park in Selangor.
00:20Over 300 people fell ill after eating there.
00:23Food poisoning, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach cramps, the works.
00:28Thankfully, everyone recovered within days.
00:31But here's the twist.
00:32The public only found out a month later.
00:35No names, no accountability.
00:38The park's kitchen, yes, just the kitchen, was shut for cleaning.
00:41The park itself stayed open, business as usual.
00:46Compare that with small operators.
00:48A school canteen closes, a hawker stall gets fined, but a multi-million ringgit venue?
00:54Just a quiet kitchen clean-up and a statement weeks later.
00:59Even more puzzling, investigators didn't test the water supply.
01:03Foodborne illness can come from food, surfaces, or water.
01:07Skipping that step leaves holes in the investigation.
01:10And there was no mention of a police report to rule out foul play.
01:14Why the restraint?
01:16Was the silence about protecting the public or protecting the business?
01:19Would a small operator have received the same courtesy?
01:23Or are enforcement standards as uneven as our reactions?
01:28Malaysia has always said public health comes first.
01:31But when the stakes are big, the urgency seems smaller.
01:35Visit Malaysia 2026 is around the corner.
01:38Are we ready to show the world that we hold every kitchen to the same standard?
01:42Transparency isn't punishment.
01:45It's protection for consumers, for tourism, for trust.
01:50We need consistent rules, timely reporting, and the courage to name names when safety fails.
01:56Because when big names get sick, accountability shouldn't shrink.
02:00It should set the standard for every kitchen, every venue, every Malaysian.
02:05Read when big names get sick, who gets held accountable by Frankie D'Cruz on FMT,
02:11and ask yourself, who's really protecting public health?
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