KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 14 — Melaka PAS demanded today a full investigation into the Taste Fully Food & Beverage Expo in Ayer Keroh that saw seven non-halal stalls in the main exhibition hall of the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) over the weekend.

The Islamist party’s state Youth chief Ahmad Bilal Rahudin claimed the incident was a deliberate attempt to push the boundaries on racial and religious sensitivities.

“Such an incident has never taken place previously, but the ties among the races have been damaged after PH (Pakatan Harapan) became government.

“We demand an investigation into this case and stern action to be taken against those involved, as well as measures to prevent a repeat,” he said in a statement.

He also called the apology tendered by the venue organiser, MITC, for the apparent “oversight” on failing to separate the halal and non-halal stalls at the expo “shallow and hard to accept, as if the expo did not require registration, observation, supervision and enforcement”.

“Was the reason given an admission of carelessness on the organiser’s part or a breach of rules by the expo participants?” Ahmad questioned, expressing his scepticism.

MITC CEO Abdul Wahab Ibrahim had apologised and issued an order to shutter seven stalls found selling street food containing pork following messages posted on Facebook that drew over 500 shares, Malay daily Sinar Harian reported yesterday.

“We MITC apologise and admit this was a technical mistake involving the arrangement of non-halal stalls that should have been set up in a separate area,” he was quoted as saying, adding that the area would also be cleansed.

The 34th Taste Fully Food & Beverage Expo 2018 held in Hall A of the MITC started on October 12 and ends today.

According to its Facebook page, the expo features a total of 170 booths.

Sinar Harian reported Dicky Lee, the organiser of Lanceford Exhibition (M) Sdn Bhd, as saying the food expo targeted non-Muslims and that 60 of the 170 stalls sold non-halal products.

The Star reported that this year’s expo was the first time non-halal products were sold inside the exhibition hall, adding that, in the past, the non-halal booths were set up in the car park.