“Rendam sudu, garpu & penyepit di dalam air panas” / “Soak spoons, forks & chopsticks in hot water.”
“Bacteria or virus will die.”
It’s a simple hygiene advisory — encouraging diners to dip their utensils in hot water before use. This practice became popular, even many years before COVID-19, and after COVID-19 and food hygiene campaigns by local councils.
But unlike the Styrofoam ban, this one is not enforceable, just advisory. It’s more about promoting self-protection habits. The fact that very few food vendors are practising it, but one food shop near my place does it,
Why This Poster Exists
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It’s based on public concern about shared cutlery cleanliness and was the best practice for so many years, as customers are sharing the same tools, and there is no guarantee the shop workers or owner will wash them properly. Not easy to wash them, especially when it is soaked in oily foods.
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Some eateries, especially older kopitiams, reuse utensils without proper sterilisation, of which the wooden chopsticks might have unseen tiny cracks on them that harbour bacteria.
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The council’s move is a “mild preemptive measure” — they provide the visual cue for shop owners to place hot water containers for customers to use.
The Reality in Practice
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Many small food vendors, unlike the larger restaurants, display this poster, but don’t actually provide hot water cups at the table.
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Some provide cold tap water instead, defeating the purpose, which makes the matter even worse.
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Where hot water is available, it’s often reused throughout the day — meaning it’s lukewarm, not boiling, and barely effective against bacteria.
The Science part of it.
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True sterilisation requires temperatures above 70°C sustained for at least 30 seconds.
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A cup of warm water that’s been sitting there for hours? — barely kills anything.
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Still, the action provides psychological comfort to diners, even if the microbiological effect is limited.
My Observation
The notice says “BACTERIA WILL DIE.” but the implementation is missing.