IPOH, July 27—The state Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Department has raided a snack food factory in Chemor, here for allegedly using fake and expired halal certificates for their products.
Acting on a public complaint, an enforcement team was sent on July 10, and found the factory was producing packets containing toys and snack food with an illegal halal sticker.
The department’s chief enforcement officer Shamsul Nizam Khalil said the sticker was unapproved by the state Islamic Affairs Council and the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim).
“We also found that the same factory had been producing groundnuts with an expired halal certificate. The factory had received a certificate in 2014, but it expired in April 2016,” Shamsul told a press conference today.
“The factory is a family business which has been operating for around 20 years, marketing products to wholesalers around Perak and Selangor,” he added, without naming the company.
“We have also taken a statement from the management of the factory.”
Shamsul said enforcers seized 479 sealed packets and 445 unsealed packs along with 59 packs fried groundnut packets, all worth RM1,198.
He said the case will be investigated under Paragraph 8 of the Trade Descriptions (Certification and Marking of Halal) Order 2011, which carries a maximum RM200,000 fine for a body corporate’s first offence and a maximum RM100,000 fine or three-year-jail term for a non-body corporate’s first offence.
The case was also being investigated under Section 16 of the Trade Description Act 2011 for false representation as to supply or approval of goods or services.
Anyone who contravenes this section can be punished under Section 21 of the same act, incurring a fine not exceeding RM500,000 for a first time body-corporate offender and a fine not exceeding RM250,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years for a first-time non body-corporate offender.
“We take a serious view towards this issue. Business owners must remember not to use halal logos without the approval of the relevant authorities,” Shamsul said.
Separately, Shamsul also said the department was investigating an Ipoh pharmacy and a Kampar fast food outlet for profiteering after the zero-rating of the Goods and Service Tax (GST).
He explained that businesses would be suspected of profiteering if their mark-up and margin percentages were found to be unrealistically high for a particular item or service.
“Since January 1 we have already inspected 40,842 premises, resulting in 373 cases and RM 45,450 worth of compounds under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011 “
