00:00Seputu MP Theresa Kok believes that the recent controversy concerning a proposal for mandatory
00:08halal certification for food outlets is simply due to a misunderstanding by various parties.
00:15Kok said she happened to meet two senior officers from the Islamic Development Department
00:20during a parliamentary committee meeting today.
00:23She said Jakim Deputy Director-General Sirajuddin Suhaimi told her they had just
00:29given a statement to police at Bukit Aman as part of its probe into the DAP MP's remarks
00:35on the halal certification proposal.
00:37She added that the controversy arose as there were misunderstandings by several parties
00:43and said it would be best to let Jakim clarify the issue.
00:47Last week, Religious Affairs Minister Naeem Mokhtar said Jakim was considering making
00:52halal certification mandatory for eateries that do not serve pork and alcohol,
00:57adding that it was currently done voluntarily.
01:00In response, Kok called for the halal certification to remain voluntary,
01:05saying the government should allow business operators to decide based on market demand
01:09rather than forcing them.
01:11Her remarks irked several parties, including UMNO Youth Chief Dr. Akmal Saleh,
01:16while Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim distanced himself from Kok,
01:20saying her views were personal and not pakatan harapan's.
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