KUALA LUMPUR: Umno youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has called for a thorough investigation into the questionable halal status of a "ham and cheese" sandwich sold at a 24-hour convenience shop in Universiti Malaya (UM).
Akmal, who also chairs the Melaka Committee for Rural Development, Agriculture, and Food Security, questioned how the shop obtained the halal logo displayed on the product's packaging.
"Last Friday, UM students lodged a police report regarding the shop selling a sandwich labelled
'ham and cheese.' Ham contains pork, and the sandwich was sold at UM, where the majority of the community is Malay.
"We can accept it if it's sold for non-Malays, such as Chinese or Indian customers, but why is there a halal logo on the packaging?" he said in a TikTok post yesterday (Jan 12).
He said that such incidents should not happen, calling for stricter adherence to halal certification standards.
Earlier, UM ordered the immediate closure of two convenience stores on its campus after concerns were raised about the halal status of packaged sandwiches sold there.
In a statement, the university said the closures were to facilitate investigations without interference.
Akmal also questioned the authenticity of halal certification for other products sold at the store following the incident.