Halal activist says he got threats after exposing premises

 

Pejuang halal activist Naim Malik said he has received death threats and intimidation after exposing food premises operating without valid halal certification.

KUALA LUMPUR: A halal activist said he has received death threats and intimidation after exposing food premises operating without valid halal certification.

Pejuang Halal activist Naim Malik said the threats arrived via smartphone messages whenever he posted details about uncertified premises on social media.

"I have received death threats and various other threats because I exposed food premises operating without halal certificates," Naim told Harian Metro.

"The threats do not frighten me. Instead, they have motivated me to be more active in investigating and exposing the halal status of food premises that raise concerns."

Naim said his efforts were driven by a fardu kifayah responsibility to protect Muslim consumers, many of whom visit uncertified restaurants influenced by social media reviews.

He said terms such as "Muslim-friendly", "Muslim Choice" and "no pork, no lard" were commonly used, particularly in shopping malls, but these phrases were not recognised halal indicators.

"'No pork, no lard' is not a guarantee that food is halal," Naim said. "What concerns me is the source of raw ingredients, which may not be halal, including animals not slaughtered according to Islamic law and the use of alcohol in cooking."

He said such terms and logos could confuse consumers and raised concerns about an application called "Muslim Choice", which he said was managed by non-Muslims, questioning its transparency.

Additionally, Naim said some non-Muslim restaurants selling pork and alcohol used Malay-sounding names on food delivery platforms without declaring their non-halal status.

He said delivery riders had alerted him to these practices, where premises served dishes such as fried rice and seafood to attract Muslim customers without raising suspicion.

Naim said he had uncovered thousands of food premises operating without JAKIM halal certificates, with some displaying Malay names or Islamic imagery to build trust.

"Most shocking was discovering that the sources of raw ingredients were also not halal.

"I currently have a list of more than 100 restaurants whose halal status is being investigated before the information is disclosed," he said.

Naim began his crusade three years ago after a family member visited a viral restaurant whose halal status could not be verified through Jakim's portal. - FMT