IPOH, Sept. 11 -- A food caterer serving a boarding school in Lenggong, Perak has been ordered to close after 159 students and staff developed symptoms of suspected food poisoning.

Perak Health, Human Resources, Indian Affairs and National Integration Committee chairman Datuk A. Sivanesan said the Hulu Perak District Health Office received a report of the incident from Lenggong Health Clinic on September 10.

He said those affected, aged between 13 and 52, began developing symptoms from 11.30pm on September 9, with the latest case reported at 1.40pm the following day.

"Of the 159 cases, all experienced diarrhoea and abdominal pain, while 125 had headaches, 89 had nausea, 31 had vomiting and 15 had fever," he said in a statement today. ...