Bak Kut Teh restaurant suspended after accumulating 12 demerit points
For Leong Kee (Klang) Bak Kut Teh in Geylang, last Friday (3 Jan) was a momentous day.
It was the day it received a Singapore Prestige Brand Award (SPBA), under the category of Heritage Brands.
However, the eatery was also suspended by the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) on the same day.
Bak Kut Teh eatery committed two offences
In a food hygiene notice, SFA said Leong Kee had accumulated 12 demerit points over the past year.
It committed two offences. The first was failing to keep its licensed premises at 251 Geylang Road free of infestation — a penalty of six demerits.
The second offence was for failing to provide toilet paper and soap, among other amenities, in its toilet, also a penalty of six demerit points.
Bak Kut Teh eatery suspended for one day
As a result of these offences, the eatery’s licence was suspended for one day on Friday (3 Jan).
SFA said a coffee shop or eating house that accumulates 12 or more demerit points over 12 months may have its licence suspended for either one, two or three days, based on track records.
Source: Leong Kee – Klang Bak Kut Teh on Facebook
It was also fined a total of S$800.
SFA reminded food business operators to observe good food and personal hygiene practices at all times as it takes a serious view of these offences.
Eatery receives Heritage Brands award on the same day
Also on 3 Jan, the SPBA presentation ceremony was held at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, reported Lianhe Zaobao.
26 local brands received awards from Minister for Digital Development and Information Josephine Teo, the guest of honour for the event.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao
One of them was Leong Kee, which won a Heritage Brands award for brands of more than 25 years old.
Brand won for ‘outstanding quality & reputation’
Leong Kee, which has more than 60 years of history, is one of the few restaurants in Singapore to offer authentic Malaysian herbal bak kut teh.
Its bak kut teh is known for its rich herbal soup base with selected medicinal herbs, as well as its dry version.
Leong Kee won the Heritage Brands award based on its outstanding quality and reputation, according to a write-up by Zaobao.
A spokesperson for the brand said this was not only an affirmation of their decades of adherence to tradition and continuous innovation, but also a recognition of their employees’ hard work.
They thanked customers for their support and promised to “continue to uphold the spirit of ingenuity” in future.
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Featured image adapted from Leong Kee – Klang Bak Kut Teh on Facebook and Association of Small & Medium Enterprises – ASME on Facebook.
