KUCHING: Displaying photocopied halal certificates at food outlets and using halal signs not issued by Jabatan Agama Islam Sarawak (Jais) is against the law, said Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman.
He was responding to a question raised by Asajaya assemblyman Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah on the usage of photocopied halal certificates by food outlets in Sarawak.
He added displaying photocopied halal certificates was very common in the state and his ministry had taken action against food outlets caught doing it.
“Sometimes using the photocopied certificates were displayed because the premises actually served meat bought from halal slaughter houses but the certificates were not valid as they were not issued by the proper authorities,” Daud explained during the State Legaslative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday.
He said, the proprietors would photocopy the halal certificates of the halal slaughterhouse and put it up at their premises.
“Doing so is against the law, and the Sarawak Department of Islamic Affairs (JAIS) has ordered them to take the signs down,” he added.
Daud also said that the number of business outlets putting up halal signs which were not certified by JAIS was increasing in the state.
“It is impossible to take action against those who use the halal sign if what they sell were in accordance with the halal standards as there are no special halal acts to regulate this matter,” he said.
He added that shops selling non-halal food despite putting up the halal signs would be charged under the Trade Descriptions Act 1972.
Earlier Daud disclosed that eight business premises in the state had been charged for selling non halal food despite having been issued the halal certificate by Jai in answer to Abdul Karim’s question on the breach of halal conditions by halal certified poultry slaughterhouses, hotels and food outlets in Sarawak.
Asked why the cases were not brought to court, Daud explained that JAIS could only suspend Halal certificates or give warnings to the premises as there was no legislations to charge them.
“At present we can only use the Trade Description Act 1972 to charge those who misuses halal certificates. A special Halal Act is currently under consideration by the federal government and will be discussed in the Parliament soon,” he added.
Earlier, Daud revealed that a total of 103 inspections were carried last year on business premises issued with halal certificates by JAIS.
Out of these 22 had been found to have committed minor offences like poor hygiene in their shops while 48 were found to have change the ingredients of their food without informing Jais as the new ingredients were obtained from sources not certified halal by the relevant authorities.
On the question of the new Muslim cemetery site for Maludam and its surrounding area Daud said that Jais and Land and Survey Department would be meeting with representatives from the village before Ramadan on this matter.
- end.KUCHING: Displaying photocopied halal certificates at food outlets and using halal signs not issued by Jabatan Agama Islam Sarawak (Jais) is against the law, said Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman.
He was responding to a question raised by Asajaya assemblyman Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah on the use of photocopied halal certificates by food outlets in Sarawak.
He added that displaying photocopied halal certificates was very common in the state and his ministry had taken action against food outlets caught doing it.
“Sometimes photocopied certificates were displayed because the premises actually served meat bought from halal slaughter houses but the certificates were not valid as they were not issued by the proper authorities,” Daud explained during the State Legaslative Assembly (DUN) sitting yesterday.
He said, the proprietors would photocopy the halal certificates of the halal slaughterhouse and put it up at their premises.
“Doing so is against the law, and the Sarawak Department of Islamic Affairs (JAIS) has ordered them to take the signs down,” he added.
Daud also said that the number of business outlets putting up halal signs which were not certified by JAIS was increasing in the state.
“It is impossible to take action against those who use the halal sign if what they sell are in accordance with the halal standards as there are no special halal acts to regulate this matter,” he said.
He added that shops selling non-halal food despite putting up the halal signs would be charged under the Trade Descriptions Act 1972.
Earlier Daud disclosed that eight business premises in the state had been charged with selling non halal food despite having been issued the halal certificate by JAIS in answer to Abdul Karim’s question on the breach of halal conditions by halal certified poultry slaughterhouses, hotels and food outlets in Sarawak.
Asked why the cases were not brought to court, Daud explained that JAIS could only suspend Halal certificates or give warnings to the premises as there was no legislations to charge them.
“At present we can only use the Trade Description Act 1972 to charge those who misuse halal certificates. A special Halal Act is currently under consideration by the federal government and will be discussed in the Parliament soon,” he added.
Earlier, Daud revealed that a total of 103 inspections were carried last year on business premises issued with halal certificates by JAIS.
Out of these 22 had been found to have committed minor offences like poor hygiene in their shops while 48 were found to have changed the ingredients of their food without informing JAIS as the new ingredients were obtained from sources not certified halal by the relevant authorities.
On the question of the new Muslim cemetery site for Maludam and its surrounding area Daud said that JAIS and Land and Survey Department would be meeting with representatives from the village before Ramadan on this matter.
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