‘P. Ramly’ name does not mean that burger is halal, say M’sian lawyers

The P. Ramly name initially used by restaurant chain Ninja Joe for its pork burger cannot be considered a misrepresentation to consumers that the product is halal, lawyers in Malaysia have said.

Civil liberties lawyer Fahri Azzat said he said a product’s name does not indicate whether it is of halal status, confirming that it is instead the halal certification and halal logo alone that determines this.

“It is not misleading or misrepresentation because the phrase ‘P. Ramly’ is not a signifier of halalness. It is the Halal Sticker and Certificate that is issued by Jakim that signifies that something is ‘halal’,” he told Malay Mail Online on Sunday (Oct 30), referring to the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia by its Malay initials.

“It would be a different thing if the shop advertised the P. Ramly burger as being halal. Then they could be charged and sued for misrepresentation or possibly, fraud,” he said.

Commenting on Ninja Joe’s posters of the ‘P. Ramly’ burger that had carried the word “pork”, Mr Fahri said that is a “significant fact to show there is no misrepresentation”.

“They have indicated right up front that it is a pork burger,” he said, adding that a Malay name does not indicate that a product is of halal status.