The Line Clear Saga

Line Clear in 2016 (3 April 2016)


If asked to name the most famous nasi kandar outlet in Penang, many would name Line Clear off Penang Road. I only learned about Line Clear maybe five or six years ago, and it had never featured among my top favourite nasi kandar stall all that while. I think I tried it once, and found myself saying, "So good meh?" So I was pleased to find others who shared the same opinion, that Line Clear Nasi Kandar was clearly overrated. But I was intrigued how it could have survived for decades.

Then, since 2014, the answer to that above question slowly emerged. Apparently, when the Line Clear business passed down the generations, it went to four different cousins who had a verbal agreement to rotate running the stall on an annual basis.

Unfortunately, one of the cousins, Abdul Hamid Seeni Parkir, had refused to vacate the premises when his turn was up, holding on and continuing to operate the business at the alleyway, which eventually forced his three other cousins, T. Abdul Latiff, Sahubarali China Mohd Hanibah and Pathumah Iskandar, to take him to court. The result of the case was that T. Abdul Latiff got to hold the licence for 2015, followed by Sahubarali China Mohd Hanibah in 2016 and Pathumah Iskandar in 2017, with the business reverting to Abdul Hamid Seeni Parkir in 2018.

Abdul Hamid Seenir Parkir was supposed to hand over the stall to his cousin on 31 December, 2014, but he refused to vacate, forcing the then Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) to get involved and issue an ultimatum. As he steadfastly refused to let go of the stall, the MPPP enforcement officers moved in to confiscate his tables and chairs, in a 4:00 am operation on 20 January, 2015. This caused the defiant Abdul Hamid Seeni Parkir to brand the MPPP action as "totally inconsiderate", claiming no prior notice was given. MPPP responded saying that it had to take action as Abdul Hamid had no license for the business, it having been passed by the court to his cousin, who is the legitimate licensed operator.

Despite MPPP intervention, Abdul Hamid held on to the business at Line Clear. And to ensure no further MPPP harassment, he obtained (on perhaps 30 January 2015) a stay of execution from the Penang High Court. A year would pass before, finally, on 21 January, 2016, it was reported that the court had dismissed Abdul Hamid's application for a judicial review to quash a decision of the now Penang Island City Council (MBPP). The court also dismissed Abdul Hamid's application with cost of RM12,000 to be awarded to MBPP, and RM15,000 to be awarded collectively to his three cousins. And with that, Abdul Hamid finally accepted to vacate the alleyway.

With the departure of Abdul Hamid from the Penang Road alleyway, his children start a new restaurant business called LC Restoran at Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur, while the premises off Penang Road goes to the legitimate business operator, Abdul Latiff Thulkarnai, who in thanksgiving held a feast at Line Clear in conjunction with the reopening of the restaurant on 15 February, 2016.

Line Clear Nasi Kandar in 2012 (30 August 2012)

List of Nasi Kandar Restaurants in Penang