In an official statement by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) last night (January 15), the organisation made it clear that using a Halal logo from the supplier is NOT enough.
A supplier’s Halal certification is NOT an indication that the product is Halal-certified
“This is because a product can only be certified halal by the authorised body after fulfilling the standards and procedures of Malaysia’s halal certification, which encompass aspects of handling, preparation, and processing in their entirety,” said Datuk Sirajuddin, the Director-General of JAKIM.
The statement also said that any product cannot be considered or labelled as halal without verification or certification by the Malaysian Halal Certification Body.
The vendor for the viral ham & cheese sandwich for KK Mart also broke the silence last night and clarified that the ingredients are Halal certified by JAKIM.
JAKIM, on the other hand, said otherwise.
“Not only did the ham sandwich not have a halal certificate, but the company that produced the product also did not obtain a halal certificate.”
As a result, KPDN has taken legal action under the Trade Description Act 2011 and Order 8(a) of the Trade Description Order (Certification & Marketing of Halal) 2011 following their visit to the premises.
JAKIM also called on business owners to understand and abide by all rules to avoid similar incidents from happening again.
KK Mart recently issued a statement stating that the halal certification on the packaging was provided by the manufacturer – Shake and Bake Cafe Sdn Bhd, and the packaging clearly stated that it was chicken ham and cheese.
KK Mart has also lodged a police report against Shake & Bake and has frozen all business deals with the company. A letter of demand (LOD) was also sent to the vendor.
To our concerned Muslim friends, the UMNO Youth Chief has suggested downloading the Verify Halal application to ensure the authenticity of the Halal status of a product.