KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 31 — A popular laksa franchise filed a police report yesterday over false claims on social media that its products contain pig’s blood, despite its central kitchen being certified “halal”.
Ah Cheng Laksa’s director Goh Chun Hiang said in addition to the claim that their laksa broth contains pig’s blood, the allegation that he is from Penang is also untrue, as he is from Alor Setar in Kedah.
“We wish to remind everyone that the food produced by Ah Cheng Laksa’s central kitchen has been certified as halal by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim),” he said in a statement.
Goh said the company is unsure about the intent and purpose of those spreading such misinformation, adding that it could possibly be one of their competitors seeking to commit sabotage.
“We have already lodged a police report over the matter, and stern action will be taken against those found responsible.
“At the same time, we are in the process of applying for halal status for all our branches, so as to retain our customers’ confidence,” he said.
The director expressed his thanks to those helping to spread the word, and requested the allegation about Ah Cheng Laksa’s halal status cease.
The allegations went viral on social media yesterday, leading to the report being filed at a police station in Subang Jaya. Similarly, Jakim’s Halal Hub Division also released a statement earlier today, affirming the franchise’s halal status, and credited the company for making the effort to extend it to all their branches.
In one of the viral false allegations, the poster warned Muslims against eating at Ah Cheng Laksa’s branch in the Alamanda Shopping Centre in Putrajaya, claiming the chain is not certified “halal” and uses pig’s blood in its broth to appeal to the Chinese community.
The chain sells northern style assam laksa and curry mee.
Traditionally, recipes for assam laksa do not use pig’s blood, while curry mee is sometimes served with blood pudding, but blood is not added as an ingredient to the broth.
