Nasi Kandar Pelita Samudra Pertama (M) Sdn Bhd (Pelita) Tuesday denied that its restaurants are not halal because the chain is owned by non-Muslims, as was made out to be on Facebook and Whatsapp since
last week.

Its executive director Datuk D.Murugan told a press conference here Tuesday that as a shareholder, he was disappointed over such a claim by irresponsible people as all the 25 restaurants Pelita operated had received halal certification from the Malaysian Islamic Development Department.

Also present was Pelita director, Datuk Sihabutheen Kirudu Mohamed.

In LUMUT, Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPk) Halal Management Unit assistant director Yusri Abdul Rani said the deparment had withdrawn the halal certification of a restaurant owned by a leading hotel in Manjung because the raw meat it purchased was not halal.

"We checked on their meat stocks and found the restaurant had changed its meat supplier without informing JAIPk first.

"Background checks found the new supplier did not have halal certification," he said, adding the withdrawal of the certification was effective Jan 24. - Bernama