SERI KEMBANGAN: "My friends and customers told me to put up the 'Muslim Kitchen' sticker."
According to Buletin TV3, these were the words of the owner of a hot food establishment operating around Balakong, Selangor, after his restaurant was raided earlier today in a joint operation following suspicions of breaching halal-related regulations.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) Kajang district enforcement officer, Ruhaizad Zahari, said that the operation was carried out based on public complaints.
"This operation, conducted by the KPDN Kajang together with the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais), was based on public complaints.
"It involved the use of expressions indicating that the restaurant could be consumed by Muslims, using and displaying a label with the statement 'Muslim Kitchen'.
"The establishment is suspected of violating Order 4(1) of the Trade Descriptions (Definition of Halal) Order 2011, Trade Descriptions Act 2011, for not having halal certification and thereby misleading Muslim customers."
Inspections under the jurisdiction of KPDN, such as price tag inspections and the use of scheduled controlled items like cooking oil, sugar, and wheat flour, overall found that the premises complied with the ownership quota of controlled items used for business.
"However, the violations under the Trade Descriptions (Definition of Halal) Order 2011, Trade Descriptions Act 2011, will be further investigated by Jais."
"If found guilty, a corporate body can be fined up to RM5 million, and for the second or subsequent offence, fined up to RM10 million," he said.