KUALA LUMPUR: Umno vice-president Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob should apologise and retract his misleading statement about halal certification to avoid confusion among people, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Fuziah Salleh.
“The statement by the Umno vice-president is malicious, with the intention to stoke fear among the Muslims by inferring that the government is led by DAP.
“I want him to apologise and retract his statement to avoid misunderstanding about halal aspects in the religion, or face legal action,” she said in a statement this evening.
She said the accusation that halal logo certification was no longer under the purview of Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) but instead placed under the Ministry of Finance was misleading, false and malicious.
Fuziah was referring to a report by an online newspaper dated Sept 13 quoting Ismail in his speech during the Penyatuan Ummah gathering.
Fuziah stressed that the certification of the halal logo had always been under JAKIM and was never managed by any other agency.
"Under JAKIM's Halal Management Division, JAKIM manages the certification aspects regarding procedures, halal definitions and lawful halal system compliance," she explained.
She regarded the incorrect statement as an act of desperation by a leader hungry for public support.