Company director, manager charged with using fake halal logo on frozen meat products

JOHOR BAHRU: Two individuals and a company linked to a meat cartel case in December last year were charged in the Sessions Court here today with seven counts each involving the Trade Descriptions Act 2011.

Chong Kim Kuang, 48, who is the manager of LY Frozen Food Sdn Bhd and Yong Chee Keong, 40, the company director, however, pleaded not guilty to all the charges readout separately before Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman.

Meanwhile, Yong in his capacity as the director also pleaded not guilty to the seven counts filed against the company.

According to the charge sheet, the two accused, along with the company and another director who is still at large - Tan Siew Huak, 42, were charged with using fake trade descriptions with regard to the halal logo of the Islamic Co-ordinating Council of Victoria and Perth Mosque Incorporated on 3,418 boxes containing frozen food.

All of them were also charged with offering the products for sale using the labels of GBP Australia Pty Ltd and Ararat Meat Exports Pty Ltd with the Australian Halal logo to indicate that the food can be consumed by Muslims, in a manner contrary to Paragraph 4 (1) of the Trade Description (Certification and Marking of Halal) Order 2011.

They were also charged with possession of the goods using fake trade descriptions without the approval of GBP Australia Pty Ltd and Ararat Meat Exports Pty Ltd.

All the offences are alleged to have been committed at No. 663 Jalan Idaman ¾ Taman Perindustrian Desa Idaman, Senai, in the Kulai district on Dec 1, 2020, at about 3.30 pm.

They were charged under Section 5 (1)(a) and Section 5 (1)(c) of the Trade Descriptions Act 2011, as well as the Trade Descriptions (Certification and Halal Marking) Order 2011.

If convicted, they can be fined not more than RM100,000, or jailed for not more than three years, or both.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutors Mohammad Onn Abd Aziz, Kwan Li Sa, Syazwani Zawawi, T. Ashivinii and Kee Shu Min while the accused were represented by lawyers Zamri Idrus, Yusman Che Aman and Saiful Zaman Abd. Rahman.

The court set bail for each of the accused at RM250,000 in one surety, while they would also have to have to hand over their passports to the court and report themselves to the Kulai District Police Headquarters every two weeks.

The case is set for mention on March 28.

-- BERNAMA