Muslim consumers are advised to check on the Halal status of any products before purchasing the items. State Islamic Affairs director Datuk Selamat Paigo said, it should be a practice for every Muslim to check on the Halal status before consuming the products. “It (checking on the Halal status) should be a habit. This is to prevent any doubts which could arise after that,” said Selamat at a Press conference to clear the air on the latest controversy involving the Halal status of meat products sold at various stores in the state. The issue came to light after contents of a sermon held at the Masjid Jamek Seremban was highlighted by the public and shared on various social media platforms. One of the contents touched on the Halal status of chicken sold at several stores in Negri Sembilan, raising concern and doubts among the public, especially Negri Sembilan folk.
Selamat said action cannot be taken against store operators who do not put up the Halal sign on the chicken products sold at their premises. “We can only take action only if they put up the Halal sign, and it turns out that their products are not certified Halal. Consumers need to be wise and exercise their rights; buy only if you are certain of the Halal status,” said Selamat, adding that consumers too need to pay attention toward cheap meat sold at the store.
“Some consumers go for cheap prices, so much so they tend to compromise on the status of the products. And some are followers - they buy when they see other Muslims doing the same. I hope consumers will pay more attention to this. Not all cheap products are certified Halal,” he said. Selamat said that at the moment, there are only eight Halal certified slaughterhouses in Negri Sembilan. They are Kerabat Processing House (PEDAS) Sdn Bhd in Rembau, Jabatan Perkhidmatan Veterinar (Senawang), PK Agro Industrial Products (M) Sdn Bhd (Senawang), Syarikat Perniagaan Haji Budin (Rembau), Ayamega Sdn Bhd (Port Dickson), Gemesta Puyuh Enterprise (Lubok Cina), Tresszayu Enterprise (Port Dickson) and Arah Warga Sdn Bhd (Seremban). Selamat also advised social media users to be more sensitive before sharing any information on the platform.
source : hawzahnews
