Muis reviewing submissions from public regarding alleged ‘questionable halal certification practices’

SINGAPORE — The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) said it has received submissions from the public regarding alleged “questionable halal certification practices”, and that it will be reviewing them.

The council said on Wednesday (June 17) that it had called for the submissions as part of ongoing investigations against one of its officers, who was previously named by The Straits Times as a Mr Munir Hussain.

Mr Munir was the subject of an April 22 article by the Hong Kong-based web publication Asia Sentinel, which identified him as the assistant director of Muis’ Halal Certification Strategic Unit.

The article alleged, among other things, that Mr Munir had used his position to “engineer the accreditation or de-listing of overseas certifying bodies he favours or dislikes”.

Overseas certifying bodies that are recognised by Muis are allowed to sell their products in Singapore with the halal label.

Asia Sentinel also claimed that Mr Munir was being investigated for corruption by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

While TODAY has sought comment from the CPIB, it told the Straits Times on April 26 that it would not confirm or deny if any individuals are being investigated for corruption, due to confidentiality issues.

Muis, meanwhile, is conducting its own investigations into the allegations. The council said on Wednesday that its deputy chief executive, Dr Albakri Ahmad, will be leading the probe with a team that comprises officers who are not involved in the halal unit or its matters.

This team will report directly to Muis’ chief executive Esa Masood.

Furthermore, an independent review panel chaired by Muis council member and retired audit director from the Auditor-General’s Office, Mr Abdul Hamid Abdullah, has been established to review the process and findings of the investigation.

Muis also stressed that Mr Munir is not part of the investigation panel, and is also currently not involved in handling matters related to the recognition of foreign halal certification bodies while investigations are ongoing.

On April 25, Muis released a statement to acknowledge that it was aware of the Asia Sentinel’s article. It added that the allegations were “extremely serious” and that it would look into it.

"No one single individual, within or outside Muis, can influence the outcome of any application in any way," it had said then.

On May 29, Muis invited members of the public who had “conclusive information and evidence” on alleged questionable halal certification practices to submit it by June 15 to assist them with their investigations.

While no timeline was given, the council said on Wednesday that a fuller update will be provided once the investigations are completed.

Meanwhile, Muis urged members of the public not to spread unsubstantiated information.

“Speculations and allegations, made without full knowledge of the facts and findings, are unnecessary and counterproductive,” said Muis.

It also noted that since its last statement, there have been various social media posts by individuals that speculated on the outcome of the investigations.

“This has led to further confusion by members of the community. We urge for patience to allow for the investigation process to be completed,” said Muis.