KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 4 -- More than a year after Penang authorities announced a ban on foreign workers cooking 13 traditional hawker dishes, food operators on the island say uncertainty continues to hang over their kitchens - even as many quietly admit that strict enforcement could cripple their businesses.

Several hawkers told The Star, which first reported the issue, that foreign workers remain essential to daily food preparation, particularly as local labour has become harder to secure.

While the ban has yet to be enforced, operators say the lack of clarity has left them unsure how to plan staffing or expand their businesses.

Transfer Road coffeeshop owner Seeni Mohamed Sheikh Abidin, who sells pasembor, mee sotong and char kuey teow ...