KUCHING: NeNe Chicken Malaysia has clarified that they have no say in the appointment of contractors and other persons working on its licensee’s restaurant at CityOne Megamall that was destroyed by a gas explosion on Tuesday.
It turned out that the said outlet was under the authority and control of the mall.
NeNe Chicken Malaysia managing director Raymond Wong said that their role in East Malaysia was confined to providing the licensee on the restaurant’s concept, plans and flow of operations.
“Of course, safety is always our top priority. However, we are not involved in fitting out the restaurant or renovation of the kitchen, and we have not been included by the authorities in their investigations,” he said at a press conference at The Waterfront Hotel, here yesterday.
He pointed out that as the master licensor, NeNe Chicken Malaysia had made their own initiatives to meet with the police and fire department, including the forensic team to obtain more information about the incident.
“We have also contacted our licensee to provide us with the necessary documentation as we are in the process of conducting our own internal investigations,” he stressed.
He said in light of the seriousness of the horrific accident, NeNe Chicken Malaysia had joined the public in urging the authorities to expedite their investigation and make its findings public as soon as possible.
“We offer our condolences to the families of the three men who lost their lives. And we are fully committed to helping all victims and families through these extremely traumatic times.”
When asked by reporters when the outlet would re-open, Wong said the decision to do so would only be made after all documentation has been obtained.
“For now, it is crucial to focus on the victims and families first,” he said.
Also present at the press conference was NeNe Chicken Malaysia general manager Ken Tan.
