JAKIM Confirms 5 Popular F&B Chains Are Not Halal-Certified Following Viral Letter
The restaurant chains in question are commonly found in malls across Malaysia.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 03 Sep 2024, 06:46 PM — Updated 12 days ago
The Malaysia Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) has confirmed that five popular restaurant chains are not halal-certified
JAKIM issued the statement today, 3 September, in response to the circulation of a letter alleging that Johnny's Restaurant, Black Canyon, Dolly Dim Sum, Ayam Penyet Best, Mr. Dakgalbi, and Bungkus Kaw Kaw do not possess halal certification.
The letter, which bore JAKIM's official letterhead, led many netizens to question its authenticity and urge the department to clarify the matter.
In its statement, JAKIM said the letter was authentic and was issued in response to an enquiry submitted to the department via the public complaints management system.
Below is the letter:
JAKIM clarified that while five of the six restaurant chains are not halal-certified, four Ayam Penyet Best branches have received halal certification
According to its website, Ayam Penyet Best has at least 50 outlets in Malaysia.
JAKIM advised members of the public with enquiries about the halal status of premises or products to verify them directly via the Malaysian Halal Portal.
At the time of writing, Ayam Penyet Best, Dolly Dim Sum, and Bungkus Kaw Kaw have responded to the issue
All three restaurant chains claimed that their central kitchens are halal-certified.
Ayam Penyet Best said its central kitchen has held a halal certification since 2012. The brand is currently obtaining halal certification for its branches in stages. The current outlets with halal certification are registered under Ayam Penyet Bagus Sdn Bhd and Smart Green Trading Sdn Bhd.
Dolly Dim Sum made a similar statement on its Instagram Story today, saying its central kitchen is halal-certified and that it is in the process of obtaining halal certification for individual outlets.
Meanwhile, Bungkus Kaw Kaw mentioned that it shares the same central kitchen as Ah Cheng Laksa, which is halal-certified. The brand will focus on obtaining certification for Bungkus Kaw Kaw this year after successfully certifying Ah Cheng Laksa outlets.
In a statement on Wednesday, 4 September, Johnny's Restaurant and Black Canyon, both operated by Dynasun Sdn Bhd, mentioned that the two brands "are yet to be halal certified by JAKIM".
However, it said ingredients used in both restaurant chains are sourced from halal-certified suppliers. Additionally, the restaurants do not use any form of alcohol or wine in their food.
Below are screenshots of their statements:
SAYS has reached out to Mr. Dakgalbi for comments but has yet to receive a response.
