KOTA BARU: Kelantan Malay Restaurant Operators Association urged the state government to postpone its requirement for all food and beverage operators to obtain halal certification when renewing their licences.
Its chairman Nik Hassan Mohd Zain said many of the association's members were still in the dark and were not informed about the new ruling.
"It's not that we (the association) are against the plan, but we think that the implementation was done in haste.
"We were not informed about it until our members, who went to renew their licences, were informed about the requirement. Before this, they were not aware of its existence," he added.
He said the state government, through local municipal council, must explain this new requirement clearly to restaurant and food and beverage operators before making the move.
If possible, Nik Hassan said the state government should issue notice to the operators so that they can make necessary preparations.
"The state government can also organise halal courses for the operators so that they can understand more about the ruling," he said.
He added that the association planned to discuss the matter with the Kota Baru Municipal Council and the state Islamic Affairs Department.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian Hotel Association of Kelantan chapter said the decision by the state government to mandate halal certification for food and beverage (F&B) operators in the state would deliver a positive impact on the state tourism sector, particularly the hotel industry.
Its honorary secretary Muhammad Azrin Zainal Abidin said hotels with halal certificates would reap benefits from the decision as it would create a positive impression and increase guests' confidence, particularly those from outside of Kelantan.
"The halal certification is not only specific to the type of food but is comprehensive, ensuring that the premises are clean and provide comfort to visitors," he said.
Azrin, who is also Kota Bharu Jewels Hotel manager, said the initiative would not present difficulty to the hotels in the state as most of them already have the certificates since started operating and the renewal process is done every two years.
Azrin said the cost incurred by the hotels for the halal certificate renewal was reasonable.
Kelantan Islamic Development, Dakwah, Information and Regional Relations Committee chairman Asri Mat Daud recently announced that all food and beverage operators in the state would soon be required to obtain halal certification to renew their licences.
He said the Kota Bharu Municipal Council would be the first to enforce this requirement and would be followed by other local councils although no timeline was given for the implementation.