In January 2025, a sandwich sold through one of Malaysia’s largest convenience store chains became a national controversy. The product was labelled “ham and cheese” and carried the Malaysian halal logo. After an inspection by JAKIM’s Halal Management Division and the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), the authorities found that the product did not hold Malaysian halal certification and that its producer was not a certificate holder. The retailer said it had relied on the supplier for the product’s halal status.
The case exposed a risk that many businesses underestimate. Retailers, distributors, café operators and online sellers often sell products they did not make. When a halal logo or claim appears on those products, customers treat it as the seller’s promise too. The damage from a false claim spreads to everyone in the chain, including businesses that acted in good faith.
This article sets out what resellers in Malaysia should check before listing a third-party product as halal, where to check it, and how to build that check into everyday purchasing.
Why the Seller Cannot Simply Trust the Label
In Malaysia, halal claims on goods are regulated under the Trade Descriptions Act 2011 and two orders made under it: the Trade Descriptions (Definition of Halal) Order 2011 and the Trade Descriptions (Certification and Marking of Halal) Order 2011. The second order names JAKIM and the state Islamic Religious Councils as the competent authorities that can certify food, goods and related services as halal.
That has two practical consequences for a reseller:
- A halal claim is only as good as the certification behind it. A logo printed by a supplier, a sticker added by a distributor or a “halal” tag typed into a marketplace listing does not create certification. The claim has to trace back to a certificate issued by a competent authority or, for imported goods, to a foreign certification recognised under Malaysia’s framework.
- Misuse is treated as an offence, not a labelling slip. In the January 2025 case, the Religious Affairs Minister described misuse of the halal label as a serious offence under the Trade Descriptions (Certification and Marking of Halal) Order 2011, and KPDN took legal action against the producer.
Specific liability depends on the facts of each case and is a legal question. Commercially, though, the lesson is clear. A business that sells a product under a halal claim should be able to show it took reasonable steps to confirm that claim.
Five Things to Verify Before a Product Goes on Sale
1. Whether a valid certificate exists at all
Start with the most basic question: does the supplier, or the actual manufacturer, hold a Malaysian Halal Certificate (Sijil Pengesahan Halal Malaysia, or SPHM) that is currently valid? Do not rely on a certificate copy alone. Check the company and product against the Malaysian Halal Directory on JAKIM’s official Halal Malaysia portal. The directory covers certification issued in Malaysia by JAKIM and the state religious authorities, and it also includes information on recognised foreign certification.
This matters more now than before. Since 5 May 2025, newly approved SPHM certificates have been issued electronically through the MYeHALAL system, and certificate holders print them themselves. A PDF or printout is easy to share, and just as easy to alter or keep circulating after it has expired. The directory record is the better reference point.
2. Whether the certificate covers this exact product
A company can hold certification for some products and not others. Malaysia’s domestic certification procedure manual (MPPHM 2020) organises certification into separate schemes. These include food and beverage products, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food premises, consumer goods, logistics services and contract manufacturing.
For a reseller, the question is whether the certification matches the product on the shelf. Check the brand name, product name and variant, and the manufacturing site. A certified food premise does not automatically make every packaged item it sells certified. A certified brand may also launch a new flavour before that variant has been added to its certification.
3. Who actually made the product
Many retail products are made by one company and sold under another company’s brand. Ask who manufactured the product and where. If the brand owner uses a contract manufacturer, the certification arrangement for that production needs to be clear.
Relabelling deserves particular attention. MPPHM 2020 lists finished products, local or imported, that are relabelled without undergoing any process in Malaysia among the categories that are not eligible to apply for Malaysian certification. If a supplier has repacked or relabelled goods, ask what certification supports the halal claim on the new label, and confirm it independently.
4. For imported goods, who certified them abroad
Imported products may carry a halal mark from a foreign certification body. JAKIM maintains a list of recognised foreign halal certification bodies on its official Halal Malaysia portal. That recognition can change and may be limited to particular product categories.
Check the current official list at the time of purchase rather than relying on an old supplier presentation or a third-party logo guide. Also check that the foreign certificate is valid and names the product and site you are buying.
5. Whether the claim stays accurate after it leaves the supplier
Verification is not a one-time step at onboarding. Certificates expire, product formulations change and suppliers switch factories. Halal integrity can also be affected during storage and distribution, a risk covered in our analysis of why halal integrity can break between the factory and the shelf. A reseller’s own display, warehousing and listing practices should not undermine a claim that was valid when the goods arrived.
A Practical Verification Table for Buyers
| What You See | What to Ask the Supplier | Where to Confirm | Warning Sign |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malaysian halal logo on packaging | Certificate holder name, product list and validity dates | Malaysian Halal Directory on the official Halal Malaysia portal | Company or product cannot be found, or the listing has expired |
| A certificate shared as a PDF or photo | Confirmation that the certificate covers this specific product and variant | Directory record for the same company and product | Names, addresses or product lists do not match the goods supplied |
| A foreign halal mark on imported goods | Name of the foreign certification body, certificate and manufacturing site | JAKIM’s current list of recognised foreign halal certification bodies | The body is not on the current list, or the scope does not include the product category |
| “Halal” written in a listing or menu with no logo | What certification supports the statement | Official directory, plus the supplier’s certificate | The supplier says ingredients “should be” halal but has no certification |
| Repacked or relabelled goods | Who repacked the goods, and what certification covers the new label | Directory record for the repacking company and product | The original certificate is offered for a product that has since been relabelled |
Building Verification Into Purchasing
Large retailers may have compliance teams. Smaller resellers can still run a disciplined process. A workable routine looks like this:
- Make certification evidence a listing requirement. No product is listed or displayed as halal until the buyer has the certificate details and a matching directory record.
- Record what was checked and when. Keep the date of the directory check, the certificate number, the validity period and the name of the staff member who checked it.
- Set expiry reminders. Diary each certificate’s expiry date and recheck the directory before it lapses.
- Require change notifications in supplier agreements. Suppliers should tell you about changes to formulation, manufacturing site, contract manufacturer or certification status.
- Control your own wording. Marketplace titles, shelf labels, menus and social media posts should not add halal claims that go beyond what the certification supports.
- Know where to escalate. If a claim cannot be confirmed, remove the halal description until it is resolved. Direct questions to JAKIM or the relevant state religious authority rather than relying on internet opinion.
Consumers use the same tools. Shoppers can check status through the official directory or the Verify Halal app, which is presented as a JAKIM initiative. A seller who has already done that check is in a far stronger position when a customer asks.
Common Mistakes Resellers Make
- Accepting a supplier declaration letter in place of certification. A letter stating that ingredients are halal is not an SPHM.
- Checking once at onboarding and never again. Certificates have validity periods, and suppliers change.
- Assuming a well-known brand has certified every product. Check the specific product, not the reputation.
- Letting marketing copy run ahead of compliance. Phrases such as “100% halal” or “Muslim-friendly” in listings still create expectations that need support.
- Treating awards or popularity as evidence of halal status. Customer ratings, industry awards and sales rankings say nothing about certification.
Halal Claims and Business Claims Need Different Evidence
Retailers make two kinds of claims about what they sell, and each needs its own evidence.
The first kind concerns halal status. In Malaysia, that evidence comes from certification by the competent authorities and can be checked through official records.
The second kind concerns business performance: “the largest halal grocery range in the state”, “the first chain to open outlets in every district”, or “the highest number of certified products in its category”. These are measurable statements about scale, reach or speed. They should be supported by sales data, outlet counts, dated records or independent confirmation. They say nothing about whether any product is halal.
Keeping the two apart protects credibility. A halal-certified retailer that achieves an exceptional, measurable milestone may choose to have that achievement independently assessed. For example, organisations offering record recognition in Asia evaluate a clearly defined claim against supporting evidence. That kind of business achievement recognition is a separate process with a separate purpose. It does not certify products, confirm halal compliance or replace any obligation to JAKIM or the state religious authorities. The distinction is explored further in our guide to what halal certification, business awards and record recognition each actually prove.
The Bottom Line for Resellers
When customers see a halal claim on a product, they rarely distinguish between the manufacturer, the distributor and the shop. They trust the place where they bought it. That makes verification a core commercial discipline for every business that sells halal-labelled goods, not only for the companies that make them.
Resellers who confirm certification against official records, check product scope, track expiry dates and control their own wording reduce legal and reputational exposure. They also build the kind of consistent reliability that Muslim consumers remember. Certified businesses can go further on the manufacturer side too, and our article on what Malaysian halal-certified businesses should monitor after certification sets out the ongoing obligations that sit behind a valid certificate.
