Restaurant allegedly selling halal food operates without halal cert for past 10 years

SHAH ALAM, Jan 7 (Bernama) -- A restaurant allegedly selling halal food in Section 25 here was found to have not obtained any valid Malaysian halal certification despite having been operational for 10 years.

Selangor Islamic Religious Department (JAIS) deputy director (Operations) Salwana Ahmad Dahlan in a statement today said the matter was discovered after JAIS and enforcement personnel from the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs carried out a spot check on the premises yesterday.

“The check was done following a viral public complaint claiming that the restaurant operator is a non-Muslim trying to confuse Muslim consumers by putting up Quranic verses in the premises and using Jawi script on its signage.

“Further inspection found that the business is shared by two owners, one of whom is a Muslim. 

“We also found that they obtained some of the raw materials, such as mutton, from a non halal-certified supplier, that only two of their workers are Muslims, and that the halal status of the food they are selling is questionable,” she said.

As such, Salwana said JAIS would take legal action against the owners under Section 10 (A) of the Selangor Syariah Crimes Enactment 1995 for insulting Islam or causing Islam to be undermined.

“The owners have been summoned to present themselves at the JAIS Office to record their statements.

“They were also ordered to remove the Quranic verses from the premises and the Jawi script from their signage, failing which legal action under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011 and Trade Descriptions (Halal Definition) Order 2011 can be taken against them,” she added.

Salwana said consumers can check the halal status of food outlets in Selangor at www.jais.gov.com or lodge any halal status-related complaint by contacting JAIS at 03-5514 3760 / 3486.

Meanwhile, restaurant owner T. Krisnasamy, 61, when contacted, admitted that it was the first time the restaurant was raided and that he would adhere to all JAIS’ instructions, starting with removing all the Quranic verses from the premises.

He also did not refute the possibility of selling the restaurant.

 -- BERNAMA