Umno Youth urges public to do mass checks on fraudulent use of halal logo

Summary

• Umno Youth is launching a campaign urging consumers to check whether products with a halal logo are actually halal-certified.

• This is after a company making sandwiches allegedly fraudulently placed the halal logo on its products despite not being certified to do so.

• Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming says those who made an issue out of the word ham are "idiots".

Umno Youth is launching a campaign urging the public to ensure that products carrying the halal logo are legitimate.

This follows the discovery that a sandwich vendor for a convenience store chain had allegedly fraudulently placed a halal logo on its packaging despite not having proper certification.

Halal certification in Malaysia is optional, and not all halal food or eateries are halal-certified due to the extensive and rigorous process required to attain certification.

However, fraudulent use of the certification and logo issued by the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) is a criminal offence and companies can be fined up to RM200,000 for the first offence.

READ MORE: KINIGUIDE | Are ham and cheese sandwiches halal?

In a video on Facebook last night, Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh said the campaign will call on consumers to verify the status of products carrying the halal logo before making a purchase.

It would make use of the Jakim-endorsed Verify Halal app.

"I want to ask for help from all Malaysians. If you go to the shop, and see a halal logo, any products that have a halal logo, verify it.

"If it’s not (registered) in the system, then tell Umno Youth and we will ensure those using fake halal logos will face very stern action, so we can tell them not to violate our trust.

"Don't lie to Muslims in this country because you want to have better sales," he said.

Word matters

Previously, Akmal kicked up a storm after ham and cheese sandwiches carrying the halal logo were found at some KK Mart outlets.

He and others had questioned how ham - on the assumption it was pork - could be labelled as halal.

The ham turned out to be made of chicken with the cold cut itself reportedly being halal certified.

However, the company that made the sandwiches - Shake and Bake Cafe Sdn Bhd - did not have the certification to place the halal logo on its products.

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said those who made a fuss about the ham name are stupid.

"Ham means a process to make food and we have turkey ham and chicken ham which is perfect for consumption.

"Same goes to root beer which is made from sassafras root which is non-alcoholic and good to drink.

"To make an issue out of it simply shows who is the real idiot," he said on X last night.

Ham products that are halal certified in Malaysia are usually labelled as chicken or turkey slices instead of ham.

This is as Jakim guidelines state that products carrying names synonymous with non-halal foods - including ham - can't be certified and must use alternative descriptors.

KINIGUIDE | Are ham and cheese sandwiches halal?

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