Owners of private business premises who want to do sanitation before starting operations need to follow the Ministry of Health (MOH) guidelines especially regarding the chemicals used.

Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the guidelines provided included appropriate types of chemicals and approved for the purpose.

“I understand that some people use their office cleaners to do sanitation (using regular detergents).

“No matter who does the office cleaning and sanitation, it is important that they follow the guidelines set by the MoH.

"(Especially) when it comes to the type of chemicals used for sanitation purposes, it needs to be approved by the ministry," he told a media conference here on Wednesday.

Ismail Sabri stressed that sanitation operation is not the same as the regular cleaning done by the cleaning staff on a daily basis.

"If they have any questions about the standard operating procedure (SOP) on sanitation, the owner of the premises can contact the nearest District Health Office (PKD) for further details," he said.