Uproar over non-halal hotels

New Straits Times:THE revelation that only 123 of the country's 2,360 hotels had applied for halal certification caused an uproar among MPs yesterday.

Several MPs told Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim halal certification should be made compulsory for hotels.

Mashitah said the government would be amending the law on the matter soon.

"Five-star hotels that have been recognised internationally, don't want to obtain it as it will involve renovations to their kitchens. They also can't join halal with non-halal kitchens."

She said some chefs did not want to compromise the taste of dishes, citing the example of Japanese food which required non-halal ingredients.
Earlier, Mashitah said 18 of the 123 applications had been approved.