KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) has condemned a viral video of a woman promoting a non-halal version of Nasi Kandar with a pork dish served at a non-halal eatery recently.
The video showed a girl promoting the non-halal Nasi Kandar by describing the pork varuval as one of the best dishes to have at the stall she visited.
The video which was posted on several social media platforms has received concern and condemnation from Malaysians, especially among the Mamak community and from Presma, who make up the majority of Nasi Kandar restaurant owners in the country.
Speaking to the New Straits Times today, Presma president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan said the post was not only insulting but could also mislead Muslims into visiting the stall, thinking it is a halal restaurant.
"It is a known fact that all Nasi Kandar restaurants are halal compliant and only serve food which are prepared according to the halal process.
"When someone comes up with such a video claiming that the dish served is Nasi Kandar, it can only be seen as insulting, insensitive and misleading," he said speaking on behalf of the 12,000 Mamak restaurant owners in the country.
Jawahar Ali said the post if not removed immediately or not properly clarified could cause confusion among the Muslim majority in Malaysia.
"There is a reason why most Nasi Kandar outlets are operated by the Mamak Muslims, it is not because of food taste but also because we make sure that all the food prepared at Nasi Kandar restaurants follows Halal certification requirements," he said when contacted today.
He added that if the matter was not dealt with accordingly, other Mamak signature dishes such as murtabak, mee goreng Mamak and others would also be modified to include non-halal ingredients.
"I received a call from the secretary-general of the National Unity ministry this morning, to arrange a meeting with them as well as the stall owner from Damansara.
"We look forward to the meeting, so that we can solve this issue in an amicable manner," Jawahar Ali said.
Nasi Kandar is believed to originate from the early 1900s, when itinerant Indian Muslim vendors would sell curry and rice to the dock employees of Weld Quay, located in George Town, Penang.