The federal government has been told to follow Penang's example and clean up Kuala Lumpur hawker stalls of foreign cooks.

"The Penang government's move to stop foreign workers from working as cooks at hawker stalls appears to have received a majority of positive reactions from various quarters.

"Perhaps the capital Kuala Lumpur should consider whether such a move should be undertaken as well," said Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng ( right ) in a statement today.

He called on Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor and Minister in Prime Minister's Department Mah Siew Keong, who is in charge of hawkers among others, to get feedback from stakeholders on the suggestion.

After receiving positive feedback from its public survey, the Penang government last month decided to implement its ban on foreign cooks working in the island's famous hawker stalls.

The survey involving 14,810 respondents from July 25 to Aug 31 showed 86 percent supported the proposal.

Among the prominent critics was celebrity chef Redzuawan Ismail, or Chef Wan, who called the idea “ridiculous”.

However, Tourism Minister Nazri Aziz gave the proposal his thumbs up.

The DAP-led state administration meanwhile defended its move as aimed at preserving one of its main tourist attractions by ensuring authenticity in its local street food.

'Not discrimination'

Lim likewise defended his suggestion saying it has nothing to do with discrimination against foreign workers, the main point of contention of fierce critics such as DAP arch-rivals Gerakan and MCA .

"For certain it is not aimed at discrimination and preventing them from making a living.

"However, it is important to ensure the hawker's license is not abused and that consumers' rights are protected," he said.

Lim argued the fundamental issue was maintaining the quality of food served, "without the need for borrowing foreign cooks".

It was also important to ensure cleanliness and food safety standards, he said.

Lim highlighted that many of the foreign labourers, commonly from Myanmar, Bangladesh and Indonesia among others, are working behind the hawker stalls in the capital without the proper permits.

"Authorities do not actually grant a permit to allow foreigners to work as a cook at the hawker stalls.

"More troubling, some of them reside in the country without legal documents, and thus are difficult to track and manage in the event of any untoward incident in the workplace," said the DAP parliamentarian.