KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 — Senator Idris Ahmad today said the government must take the recent discovery of a “meat cartel” seriously and launch an immediate investigation into the matter.

He said such damage control will help to allay public doubt and protect the reputation of the country and the agencies involved.

“The government needs to conduct a detailed, unbiased and comprehensive investigation into this issue as it involves major institutions in the country such as the Customs Department, Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services Department (Maqis), Department of Veterinary Services (DVS) and even the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) itself, which is very sensitive about any standard operating procedures it imposes.

“Reckless accusations as well as the absence of a detailed investigation only tarnish the reputation of the agencies involved,” he said.

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Idris said there are still unanswered questions that must be addressed primarily by Maqis, as it is the main reference for the Customs Department on any regulation of the import and export of commodities related to agriculture, animals and fisheries.

“Among them, to what extent has the cartel allegedly been operating for 40 years and how did it go undetected by the authorities?

“Are there already any charges in court over the existence of the cartel? This is part of what still needs further clarification from the authorities,” he said.

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Earlier this month, Sinar Harian reported that a multi-agency raid, involving the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry among others, had busted a meat cartel based in Senai, Johor.

The cartel allegedly smuggled non-halal meat from Ukraine, Brazil, Argentina and China, and then repackaged it with fake halal logos.

This sparked outrage and concern among the Muslim community, and unverified allegations surfaced, saying that the cartel had been operating for up to 40 years, with officers from the various departments and agencies involved under its payroll.