KUALA LUMPUR – The Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has advised all Muslims in the country to be careful when choosing what to eat, following complaints over a video showing pork varuval sold with nasi kandar and nasi lemak at an eatery in Petaling Jaya.
Jakim on Facebook reminded Muslims to ensure that they are to only consume food that is halal and to only visit restaurants that have halal certificates issued either by Jakim or by state Islamic religious councils and departments.
“This issue has arisen because the restaurant is selling traditional food that is popular with Malaysians, which in this case is served with pork that is forbidden for Muslim consumption,” the department said.
The restaurant’s pork varuval served with nasi kandar and nasi lemak went viral thanks to an Instagram post by a food reviewer on October 23.
Despite the post carrying a clear disclaimer that the food is “strictly non-halal”, the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association, Presma, yesterday took issue, saying it was an “insult to the nasi kandar industry”.
Jakim said in its advisory that Muslims can visit its Halal Hub Division Facebook page if they have any questions or seek clarification regarding the halal status of any product.
“They can also find out about halal-certified restaurants and food products at https://www.halal.gov.my/v4 or check the halal status on the Verify Halal smartphone app.” – October 31, 2023