KUCHING: Vendors selling fresh or frozen chicken and beef in the city need to ascertain whether they are using the halal certification and logo wrongfully or risk paying a hefty fine.

Leading an operation in conjunction with the Raya festive season yesterday, head of the Halal Development Unit of Sarawak Islamic Religious Department (Jais), Asmawaty @Siti Asmah Ahmad told reporters many of these outlets use the halal logo though cannot prove their products are halal.

INSPECTION: Siti Asmah (second right) checking the halal certification with her team from Jais and other agencies.

“The Muslim community must look for the halal certification displayed by the vendor, and the address must be right. It is also wrong for vendors from slaughtering houses to display the halal certification without justification,” she said.

“Jais will investigate wrongful use of the logo before they enforce the law on the individuals concerned,” she warned.

Siti Asmah revealed that to-date no one has been brought to court as they are still compiling cases for investigation.

She stressed that only Jakim or Jais has the right to approve and issue halal documents.

Those who do not apply and get their halal certification approved can be fined up to RM100,000 if found guilty of wrongdoing or falsifying documents.

“The fine can be up to a RM1 million ringgit for a product labelled ‘halal’ but later found not to be so,” she warned.

Siti Asmah said registered halal slaughtering houses for chicken or meat must put the end product in clear plastic with a halal logo.

She disclosed that Kuching has no premises selling halal products backed up by a halal certificate although there are four in Miri, one Sibu and one each in Limbang and Mukah.

Siti Asmah said compulsory use of the halal logo for outlets selling halal products was enforced in January 2012 but not everyone is complying.

Additionally, each franchisee must obtain its own halal certification before using the logo at its outlet.

The Health Department, Veterinary Department, Customs Department, Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (MDTCC) and the police have jointly inspected four outlets in the city for wrongful use of the halal certificate with further investigation needed.

*This article was published by the Borneo Post Online. Read the original article here.