IN MALAYSIA, food is serious business. Add religion, regulations and signboards into the recipe and what emerges is often less a discussion and more a nationwide seasoning of outrage.

So when Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS) issued its latest reminder on halal-related terminology, the internet immediately prepared its favourite dish — hot takes served piping hot.

According to JAIS, businesses lacking halal certification cannot use the phrases “Muslim-friendly” or “no pork, no lard”.

In a video shared earlier this month, JAIS said such descriptions could create the impression that products or services comply with halal requirements.

The department stressed that without official Malaysian Halal Certification, consumers have no assurance that halal standards are fully observed.

JAIS said halal compliance involves more than just ingredients, covering areas such as sourcing of raw materials, preparation processes and cleanliness standards.

It also pointed out that the Trade Descriptions Act 2011 prohibits businesses from using labels or claims that may mislead consumers.

JAIS explained that the phrase “no pork, no lard” only indicates the absence of pork, but does not address other concerns such as alcohol, cross-contamination, or non-halal gelatin.

Netizens were quick to respond to this new ruling, as seen in the comment section on a post by says.com which carried the news.

“What’s wrong with that? Some Chinese don’t eat pork and they need to know. This is getting out of hand,” said Alex KY Tee while Daniel Mester sarcastically remarked that soon people need halal blood to apply for the certs.

A good number of netizens have since come up with alternatives to bypass the ruling which many deem as ridiculous.

Cks Gary said people can just put up a “Non-halal, No pork no lard,” sign. Then there was Alwin Cheng who made light of the situation by suggesting the sign, “No Peppa & Its Fat.”

Perhaps the winning comment goes to Kecey Heong and this was what he said:

The news has since opened a can of worms with Shahril Azmir pointing out the fact that cigarettes are haram too, but the majority of smokers in Malaysia are Malays.

Also, it has prompted JC Cesar to ask JAIS to speed up and make halal certification for businesses easier.

Cyril Augustine Yee Kelvin further remarked that JAIS cannot punish the non Muslims.

Away from the comment section and under Paragraph 4(1) of the Trade Descriptions (Halal Certification and Marking) Order 2011, it is an offence to mislead consumers about the halal status of food or services.

The order states, “Any person who supplies or offers to supply any food through any representation or act which is likely to mislead or confuse any person that the food is halal or can be consumed by a Muslim commits an offence.” —June 2, 2026

Main image: a-z-animals.com

The post JAIS forbids “no pork, no lard” signage, netizens say challenge accepted first appeared on Focus Malaysia.