00:00Consumers are more well informed now and they understand that a no pork, no lard signage
00:05does not mean an eatery has been certified halal, according to Garakhan President Dominic
00:10Lau.
00:11Speaking to FMT, Lau said that consumers know what to choose and what to avoid and that
00:16the focus should be on transparency and education, not over-regulation.
00:22Lau was commenting on a reminder by the Salangor Islamic Religious Department that eateries
00:26that do not carry a halal certification are prohibited from displaying signages touting
00:31no pork, no lard or Muslim-friendly menus.
00:34The Department of Islamic Development Malaysia issues the certification.
00:39Under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011, Jais explained that the law prohibits any use of
00:44terms or labels that could mislead consumers.
00:47Meanwhile, former Religious Affairs Minister Mujahid Yusuf Rawah said eateries seeking to
00:52penetrate the Muslim market should not rely on such labels and should
00:56apply for a halal certification.
00:59However, he said that in some cases, halal certification is not a must, citing stalls patronized by Muslims
01:05for generations, which can sometimes carry as much weight as formal certification.
01:11I'm Dan Schroeder Rizzo, FMT.
01:12I'm Dan Schroeder Rizzo, FMT.
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