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SHAH ALAM: People and companies involved in a cartel that have been accused of smuggling meat and mixing different meats before passing it off as halal meat on the open market should not be forgiven, says opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
The PKR president also urged the government to act immediately and crack down on the manipulation of the halal certificate by the so-called “meat cartel.”
“I think we cannot forgive those who manipulate religion. This is a serious crime, ”he said at a book launch here. He also described the act of importing illegal meat as despicable.
He urged the relevant authorities, including the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), to take responsibility, as the government agency was in charge of halal certification.
“The issue of halal certification is not the exclusive competence of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industries. Jakim has to be equally responsible for this.
The issue of mixed meat and wrongly declared halal meats made headlines after it was reported that a “cartel” had been importing frozen meat from countries including China, Ukraine, Brazil and Argentina.
Reports indicate that meats from these countries are repackaged with halal logos in a Johor warehouse. Authorities have seized 1,500 tonnes of meat worth RM 30 million from a facility in Senai.
