Sales have surged at the Pumbaa Nasi Lemak + Nasi Kandar stall in Damansara Jaya, Selangor, after its nasi kandar babi made headlines.
Speaking to KiniTV, owner G Suresh said he bore no hard feelings against those who kicked up a fuss about the dish.
He believes the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) had no malice in raising the issue, claiming that the dish could confusion among Muslims, who are forbidden from consuming pork.
"I don’t think it was done with any ill-feeling,” he said.
“I think they (Presma) just caught on to it or maybe they were not too sure, but I think after they found out it was in a fully Chinese restaurant (in which the stall is located) and it was clear (the food was non-halal), then I think it (the situation) was okay.
"I don’t think they did it out of spite. The media just ran with it and other than that, there have been visits from the local council, with everybody being polite and accommodating," he added.
On the flip side, the initial video on the dish and Presma’s reaction have boosted his business.
"It’s improving. There are a lot of people who are coming out to support. Not only by buying (food), but also on my social media, there are a lot of people who send me encouraging messages and tell me to hang in there.
"So, it was a very good response from my customers," said the 38-year-old owner, who has been operating the stall for just under a month.
Yesterday, Suresh (above), who prepares his dishes at home, was forced to cook extra after the food ran out at 1pm.
“Today, I have to cook extra to cater for more people. But we try to maintain the quality. I cannot cook in huge bulk like restaurants do since we are cooking in the house," he added.
Suresh said since his stall displayed the words "non-halal" prominently and is located in a Chinese restaurant, the issue of causing confusion does not arise.
'Didn't pay influencer'
Earlier, Presma had voiced disagreement with a video clip by a TikTok influencer which promoted Suresh's business and its serving of a pork varuval (dried curry) - alongside traditional nasi kandar items.
Presma president Jawahar Ali Taib Khan said this was considered a form of insult to the nasi kandar industry - which is known to have been pioneered by Tamil Muslim restaurant operators for decades.
"Presma thinks it will cause confusion to customers and nasi kandar fans in this as well as give a negative image to this much-loved menu," he said.
Suresh said that he did not hire the influencer to advertise his stall.
"She used to support me in my previous restaurant. So when I opened here, she decided to come and do a video for me. She used to follow me in my previous endeavours and came and did the video. I didn’t pay anyone," he said.
Suresh, who previously operated banana leaf restaurants, said he always wanted to give nasi kandar babi a try since it was unique and not available elsewhere.
"I chose this area, which is a prominently Chinese area, and I started in a non-halal kopitiam.
"So, it was quite a surprise when Presma caught this content because I made it very clear that it is not halal," he added.
Suresh revealed that even those from the Malay community had told him to weather the storm because he was doing nothing wrong.
Yesterday, Malaysiakini quoted Penang mufti Wan Salim Mohd Noor as saying there was nothing wrong with the dish as long as the “non-halal” sign was displayed.
Presma accepts explanation
Presma has since accepted Suresh’s explanation but reiterated that nasi kandar was introduced by the Tamil Muslim community in Malaysia.
"It is a halal food where a plate of rice is sold by mixing various curries. Customers believe all nasi kandar sold at various outlets are halal food.
"Nasi kandar babi creates confusion among customers but the nasi kandar babi seller has given his explanation, and we have to accept it.
“He has clearly stated that he is not selling to Muslims," he told the New Straits Times.
‘Just trying to be unique’
Meanwhile, Randall Chen, the owner of the kopitiam where Suresh is operating, told KiniTV that there has been an upsurge in customers for the past couple of days.
"There are a lot of people coming. A lot of those government people coming, also just to safeguard and make sure everything is in order.
"We have a proper licence, I think they are just doing their job.
"My point is that it is nothing much to be sensitive about because I think as a chef everybody is trying to be unique," he added. - Mkini
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