SHAH ALAM: The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) seized 1,098 packets of chicken from a slaughterhouse and processing plant in Kajang, which bore unauthorised halal certification on its packages.
The four-hour raid by Jais from 7.30am Tuesday also found that the owner of the premises had hired foreign workers for the slaughtering process but these workers do not possess credentials to do so.
Jais deputy director (management) Azlinda Azman said the packed chicken was confiscated to pave the way for investigations to be carried out under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011.
"An order to shut down the premises under Section 11 of the Food Act 1983 was also issued by the Selangor Health Department because of hygiene factors and the failure of the owner to carry out pest control.
"The Kajang Municipal Council has also served a compound notice under its Food Handling by-law 2007 because the workers did not get typhoid shots. Another compound notice was issued under the council's Licensing, Trade and Industry by-law 2007 for cleanliness.
"The owner had tried to mislead consumers by displaying the halal certification when the way the slaughterhouse is managed is doubtful and the level of cleanliness is suspicious that it needed swift action by the health authorities," she said in a statement today.
Azlina added that checks were conducted following complaints filed by members of public to Jais' halal management division.
The raid also involved the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia halal hub division and the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry.