KUALA LUMPUR: Two major food retailers have stepped forward to assure the public that frozen meat sold at their premises are sourced from legitimate certified halal suppliers.
A Tesco spokesperson told the New Straits Times that frozen meat sold in their hypermarkets are sourced directly from overseas abattoirs and hence, not linked to those supplied by a meat cartel which allegedly imports non-certified beef and passes them off as halal items in Malaysia.
"We have always appointed our suppliers to directly obtain meat from overseas abattoirs which are approved by the Department of Veterinary Services Malaysia as well as the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim).
"None of our meat products are related to the meat cartel, hence we have not halted our meat sales," said the spokesperson in an email to the NST.
Mydin, meanwhile, also assured consumers that its supply of imported meat is halal and safe.
Mydin Mohamed Holdings Bhd managing director Datuk Dr Ameer Ali Mydin said their meat supply is only sourced from two parties which the company trusts to deliver certified halal goods.
"As per our checks, we are not involved in sourcing from this said cartel.
"In any business, it is important that we are extra careful not to hurt any religious sentiments. This is something we are serious about," he said.
The NST in its front page story on Monday had reported how a meat cartel, which has been in operation for 40 years, had bribed government officials to ensure that its imported meat, supplied from non-certified sources, enters the Malaysian market.
According to the report, the cartel uses proxy companies to prevent any direct links to the syndicate's heads. The proxy companies which import the meat would bear Bumiputera or Muslim names in order to assure suppliers that it deals in halal products.
The cartel would also import kangaroo and horse meat, which would then be mixed with beef in Malaysia and stamped with fake halal logos before being sold to unwitting suppliers.