There is no need to make halal certification mandatory for non-Muslim restaurants, said the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners’ Association (Primas).
Its president J Govindasamy said while the proposal would benefit restaurants in attracting more Muslim customers, it should be a choice left to the owners.
“I believe there is no need to make it mandatory. If there are restaurants whose customers are not Muslims, they should be allowed to operate without a halal certificate.
“The restaurants should be allowed to decide if they want a halal certificate or not,” he told Malaysiakini.
Furthermore, he pointed out that obtaining the halal certificate is expensive and the requirements are stringent.
At present, Govindasamy said all restaurants must obtain a licence from the respective local councils and are under constant monitoring by the health department.
“There are periodic checks on the cleanliness and quality of the food. Every year, the local council grades the restaurants.
“There are also online reviews about restaurants and there have been many cases where premises have been shuttered for two weeks by the health department.
“As for the halal certification, I reiterate that it should be left to the restaurants to decide,” he added.
Previously, it was reported that the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) is considering making halal certification compulsory for restaurants and food establishments that do not serve pork or alcohol.
This turned into an explosive issue when DAP vice-chairperson Teresa Kok said the proposal should be reviewed, triggering her political rivals to accuse her of meddling in matters related to Islam.
The police have also opened an investigation into the Seputeh MP after a raft of police reports were lodged against her. – Malaysiakini