Not afraid of legal action, Akmal tells Teresa
KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has asserted that he is not afraid of any legal action that might be taken by Seputeh MP Teresa Kok against him following his statements regarding halal certification.
According to Berita Harian, the UMNO Youth Chief stated that he is not concerned about facing legal action and is even prepared to ‘meet’ the DAP Vice-Chairperson in court.
“Today, when Teresa Kok was called to the police headquarters earlier, she issued a statement saying she would consider suing me in court.
“I want to tell Teresa Kok… bring it on, I am not afraid… no fear, no surrender. Let’s meet in court,” he said in a short video shared on his Facebook page tonight.
Earlier, the media reported that Teresa is considering legal action against Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh following the UMNO Youth Chief’s response to issues related to halal certification, including his suggestion that a ‘non-halal’ label be stamped on the forehead of the DAP Publicity Secretary.
Teresa was quoted as telling reporters after giving her statement at Bukit Aman today that she is seeking legal advice from her team of lawyers regarding the matter.
Previously, Dr Muhamad Akmal had criticized Teresa’s actions, which reportedly included claims that making halal certification mandatory for restaurants and food companies would only add to the burden on traders.
Dr Muhamad Akmal emphasized that obtaining halal certification from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) involves not only prohibitions on alcohol and pork but also includes how food is prepared and its source.
“I want to say… halal certification used to take months to obtain. Today, we have shortened the process to just 23 days.
“So, what’s your problem with halal certification? If you don’t like it, it doesn’t concern you,” Dr Muhamad Akmal said in a TikTok video last Saturday.
The media had previously reported that Teresa claimed halal certification should be voluntary, allowing operators to make decisions based on market demand rather than being enforced.
She was quoted as saying that making halal certification mandatory for restaurants and food companies would only complicate business operations and burden small businesses.
Additionally, Teresa argued that this would contradict the spirit of cultural diversity and could even make Malaysia a subject of ridicule abroad.
This followed a statement by the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, that JAKIM is considering the proposal to mandate halal certification for restaurants and food companies.
The day before yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was reported to have emphasized that Teresa’s statements on halal certification do not represent the position of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and have sparked controversy that is irrelevant to the public in this country.