No 'halal food' certs at several Pahang religious schools

Food supplies for some Pahang secondary religious schools were found not to have halal certification, states the Auditor-General's Report 2011.

Even in certain cases where the supplies had halal certification, they did not possess the official halal stamp issued by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), the report said.

"Table 7 of the contract condition states that foodstuff such as milk, juices, vinegar and cooking oil must have halal labels issued by Jakim and are not expired," it said.

This was based on an audit of some 18 secondary religious schools for food contracts between 2009 and 2011. The allocation for 2010 to 2011 was RM36.6 million for some 7,990 students.

More serious was a check on the schools' stocks, which found some food supplies such as orange juice and margarine had expired 'use by' dates.

The report also raised the issue of hygiene as the kitchens of some of the schools were infested with flies and their floors had not been washed for a long time.

Oily food for the old folk

In Sabah, the audit found that food for three old folks' homes managed by the General Welfare Services Department in the state did not follow the dietary guidelines.

A survey at the Sri Harapan old folks' home in Sandakan showed that fatty and oily food were served to the senior citizens.

"The residents at the old folks home, who suffer from diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, gout and hyper-cholesterolemia,  must abide by the dietary recommendations of the medical officer," the report says.

In its recommendations, the report urged that food at old folks' homes follow the dietary guidelines and schedule, on top of enduring systematic medication for the inmates.