Penang has long been known locally and worldwide as a food paradise, drawing hundreds of thousands of tourists to its shores yearly.
However, what was supposed to be an unforgettable dining experience quickly went south for Investment, Trade, and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz after netizens voiced alarm over him dining at a restaurant that wasn’t halal-certified.
Shared photos of laksa meal
In a Facebook post shared by Zafrul on Monday, it showed him lining up and dining at the Penang Road Famous Laksa restaurant at Lebuh Keng Kwee in Penang with his family.
In the caption, he jokingly wrote that in Penang, long lines outside restaurants within the state were a testament to how delicious the food was.
“The queue at Penang Road Famous Laksa restaurant was really long and it’s even Michelin-certified too! After finishing our laksa, we had some cendol.
“If you ever come to Penang, be sure to drop by this place. It’s truly the best!” he wrote.
Controversy
Unfortunately, the post quickly drew widespread criticism from netizens, who slammed Zafrul for dining at and recommending a place that had its halal certificate revoked years ago.
A quick check by WeirdKaya via the JAKIM portal revealed that the restaurant indeed had its halal certificate revoked. But the reason for it being revoked wasn’t disclosed.
Responses
Following the uproar online, Zafrul wrote another Facebook post addressing the matter, where he explained why he dined at the restaurant in the first place.
According to him, he said he saw the restaurant displaying its halal certificate on the wall, leading him to believe that it was safe for Muslim customers to dine there, adding that he didn’t double check via JAKIM’s website.
Zafrul also thanked netizens for bringing the matter to his attention.
The restaurant owner also provided more context over the revoked halal certificate, which wasn’t caused by the ingredients used in its laksa, but an expansion into another unit next door.
As for the claims online that we didn’t display the cert while certified, they aren’t true; it was always displayed inside the restaurant until it was revoked.
“We didn’t hide anything; it was just a temporary loss of official recognition. Many of our Muslim customers who knew what happened were understanding and continued to patronise the restaurant,” he told Guang Ming Daily, adding that the restaurant’s looking to reapply for a halal certificate.
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