Following the Customs Department’s seizure of medjool dates believed to be from Israel recently, the Malaysian importer of the dates has apologised and recalled the product.
In a statement last night, Matahari Sdn Bhd stated that it has never knowingly or intentionally ordered products or conducted any business with Israel and has never infringed any regulations.
"In June 2022, we received a shipment of mixed food, including dates from our suppliers in Greece.
"Being an importer, wholesaler, and distributor of organic and natural products, it is part of our procedure to label all our products with details, including origin, to ensure all products meet the requirements for organic certification," it stated.
It added that the certificate of analysis provided by the supplier listed the dates as sourced from Israel/Occupied Palestinian Areas.
"Ignorantly and, in hindsight, without being sensitive to the issue, we then labelled the product, including listing Israel as the origin.
"We only realised the mistake and its implications when it was brought up as an issue on social media and we were contacted for comment on Monday, March 11. We immediately contacted our resellers and recalled the product.
"Matahari Sdn Bhd would like to apologise to our partners and customers as well as to our staff who have been impacted by the incident.
"We share the concerns of our fellow Malaysians, particularly those of the Muslim communities, and would like to affirm that we do not support Israel in any way," it said.
Man detained
In the raid on March 12 at Northport in Klang, Selangor, the Customs Department confiscated 73 packs of organic jumbo medjool dates believed to be from Israel.
According to Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Armizan Mohd Ali yesterday, a man was also detained over the alleged sale of dates.
The case is being investigated under the Customs Act 1967, he added.
In response to the raid, Mahatari said they will cooperate with the authorities, including the Customs Department.
"We are also reviewing our supply chain processes and will incorporate any recommendations from authorities to prevent such a mistake from occurring in the future," it said. - Mkini
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