KUALA LUMPUR: Chicken retailers may be required to display information on their slaughterhouses and halal certification bodies under a proposed new regulation.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Datuk Armizan Mohd Ali said the ministry was prepared to introduce the requirement under the Trade Descriptions Act to help consumers identify where their chicken was slaughtered and which authority certified its halal status.
He said the proposal would be discussed with state religious authorities, local authorities and the Health Ministry, as the matter involved several agencies.
“We can introduce a regulation under the Trade Descriptions Act so that consumers at retail level can know where the chicken was slaughtered and which authority certified its halal status,” he said when winding up committee stage debates on the Supply Bill 2027 at the Dewan Rakyat on Thursday (Nov 12)
Armizan said regular inspections should also be conducted at premises authorised to carry out slaughtering activities, rather than waiting for complaints or problems to arise.
He said the state religious authorities were responsible for halal certification, while local councils approved business premises and the ministry enforced laws against misleading trade descriptions.
“Better coordination among the agencies is necessary to strengthen consumer protection and public confidence in halal products,” he said.
