Delays On Jakim S End Behind Catering Company S Lack Of Halal Cert Zambry

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PARLIAMENT | Higher Education Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir has highlighted the Islamic Development Department’s (Jakim) delay in facilitating companies’ applications for halal certification.
The BN senator said this in clarifying a government audit’s finding detailing that the Canselor Tuanku Muhriz Hospital (HCTM) had awarded a three-year RM25.64 million catering contract to a company that did not possess halal certification from Jakim.
Commenting on the finding, Zambry said he was informed that while the company had applied for halal certification when it was awarded the tender in 2014, it had only managed to obtain a person-in-charge (PIC) from Jakim on April 14, 2025.
“Securing a PIC is the first step (in obtaining halal certification), which is necessary for the company to register their details (with Jakim), following which audits and premises inspections will be conducted.
ADS“In this case, the company was only able to get a PIC more than a year later,” the minister told the Dewan Rakyat today in his winding-up speech for debates on the 2025 Auditor-General’s Report Series 2.
Nothing to do with non-compliance
Stressing that the delay in halal certification was not due to the company’s non-compliance with halal standards, the minister said the technical difficulties and inefficiencies concerning the certification procedure have often resulted in such delays.
“Once a company secures a tender, they are typically given six months to apply for halal certification (and) this process has oftentimes caused delays,” he said.
“We have to take note of this matter so that (companies) are able to (secure the certification) within the time period set in the contract.
“I hope that this matter can be rectified (as) it has become an issue of public concern,” he added.
He also noted that other premises under the same company already hold valid halal certification, adding that all food suppliers engaged by the company are halal-certified.
Failed technical evaluation
On Monday, the report revealed that HCTM, which is overseen by Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), had awarded a multi-million ringgit contract to a company, with the tender aimed at “providing halal food to HCTM patients”.
The report, debated in the Dewan Rakyat today, found that HCTM’s technical evaluation committee did not recommend the company as it had failed the technical evaluation due to its lack of halal and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) certifications.
The Canselor Tuanku Muhriz HospitalThe audit detailed that the technical evaluation committee had evaluated 12 bidders, with the passing mark set at 85 percent or above.
While the company which was awarded the tender stood among 10 companies that failed after scoring 53 percent, the company was ultimately selected based on meeting the financial evaluation committee’s criteria, the audit reported.
UKM’s previous response to the audit did not address the company’s lack of halal certification. - Mkini

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