In Malaysia, Anwar ally Teresa Kok stands firm amid police probe over halal remarks

Police said 50 reports were lodged against the lawmaker by those who thought her request to review a halal certification plan was offensive

Reading Time:2 minutes

Malaysian lawmaker Teresa Kok addresses the media on Tuesday after being questioned by police. Photo: Instagram/Teresa Kok

Published: 3:45pm, 11 Sep 2024Updated: 3:58pm, 11 Sep 2024

A Malaysian government lawmaker who was questioned by police for suggesting a review of mandatory halal certification for restaurants said on Wednesday she could do little more to douse outrage from conservatives and had not intended to challenge the country’s religious authorities.

“I have said very clearly in my statement on [Friday] what had happened. If they still want to make an issue about it, I can’t help it,” Teresa Kok, a veteran MP from the Democratic Action Party (DAP), told This Week in Asia.

Kok, whose DAP is a key member of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government, had on Friday asked for a review of a proposal by Religious Affairs Minister Mohd Na’im Mokhtar that would make getting halal certification compulsory for all restaurants targeting Muslim clientele, arguing it was overly onerous and costly for small businesses.

Following numerous complaints, police summoned the six-term MP on Tuesday to provide a statement as part of an investigation into allegations that she had caused public alarm and used online platforms to share offensive content.

Teresa Kok answers questions during an interview in Brussels in 2020, when she was serving as Malaysia’s plantation industries and commodities minister. Photo: AFP

The offences carry penalties of up to five years in jail and a maximum fine of 50,000 ringgit (US$10,500).

At least 50 police reports were lodged against Kok, police said, including by critics such as firebrand youth leader Akmal Salleh of the United Malays National Organisation (Umno) – another key government coalition partner – who accused her of meddling in the affairs of Muslims.