OldTown White Coffee Considers Suing Individuals Over Claim That It Serves Pork
The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) has also clarified that the claim is untrue.
By Yap Wan Xiang — 16 Nov 2020, 12:01 PM
OldTown White Coffee is considering to take legal action against parties who claimed that one of its restaurants serves pork to customers
According to a statement made by the company's management, OldTown White Coffee denied that its food contains pork and stressed that the allegation made in a viral video was untrue, reported New Straits Times.
"We want to point out that all OldTown White Coffee outlets have the Malaysian Halal Certification since 2010," the statement read.
"The halal certification and regulations are not something that should be taken lightly. We have ensured all ingredients for food and beverages do not contain pork or any non-halal items."
In the said video, it shows what seems to be a bowl of curry laksa, while a voice behind the camera claims the 'red meat' in the dish is pork
The 42-second video went viral last week.
The man can be heard claiming that the char siew meat in the dish is pork as he uses a kitchen knife to flip the toppings around.
"The red meat you see here is pork. Don't eat it. My friend bought it for me and I almost ate it. Luckily, I checked," the man claims.
The dish in the video seems to resemble an item called 'Premium Curry Noodles'.
According to OldTown White Coffee's website, the item comes with toppings such as prawns, fried beancurd, beancurd sheets, as well as char siew as toppings.
The video hears a man behind the camera claiming that the red meat is pork.
Image via Kg Bohor Baru, Bera (Facebook)Following the viral video, the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (KPDNHEP) raided one of its restaurants in Subang Jaya
Photos taken from the raid show that the char siew is 'BBQ chicken' and the packaging of the meat shows a halal logo.
The incident prompted the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) to issue a statement, clarifying that the claim made in the video is not true.
The agency advises members of the public to be more careful before spreading viral posts related to halal issues and that consumers should first seek clarification from the authorities to avoid making false accusations.
According to Bloomberg, the OldTown brand was established in 2007 and headquartered in Ipoh, Perak.
The company was once a public listed company, before being acquired by dutch coffee company Jacobs Douwe Egberts in 2018.
Other than serving chicken char siew, it is worth noting that the restaurant chain also serves vegetarian items with the use of chicken mock meat.
