Federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa said their licences would not be renewed.

Zaliha said she had instructed the Kuala Lumpur mayor (Maimunah Sharif) to carry out enforcement on the cleanliness of premises in the city, especially food premises.

“If the cleanliness of the premises is found to be unsatisfactory, we will not renew their business licence,” she said when speaking at the Malaysian Cleanup Day: Mega Cleanup Programme in conjunction with the World Cleanup Day 2024, here today.

Zaliha said as of July this year, a total of 417 food premises in the capital had been ordered to close for not meeting the stipulated standard of cleanliness.

On the Mega Cleanup Programme, she said it was important to ensure the country remains clean, especially ahead of Malaysia taking over the role of Asean chairman and the 2026 Visit Malaysia Year.

“This is part of our preparations to receive more tourists to Malaysia ahead of an important and historic event. The cleanliness and beauty of our city, especially Kuala Lumpur, which is the country’s main gateway, will reflect our commitment,” she said.