KUALA LUMPUR: Consumers must be wary of spreading rumours about the halal status of halal-certified products and services as this can have a detrimental effect on a company and its employees.
This is the message Persatuan Pengguna Islam Malaysia (PPIM) President Nadzim Johan has for social media users in the wake of the spreading of false news on the halal status of McDonald’s Malaysia and Korean instant noodles, Samyang Ramyeon.
Recently, netizens had been sharing the false news on the halal status of the two brands, and the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) has come out to clarify that both brands were halal-certified.
In an interview with FMT, Nadzim said the problem was that many Malaysians now wanted to become “reporters” and were excited at being the first to share “news”, especially when it was sensational.
“Many of us don’t take such issues seriously and just click ‘share’ without verifying such claims or thinking of the consequences of doing so.
“It is a very unhealthy attitude,” he said, adding that such attitudes needed to be corrected by parents and in schools.
Nadzim called on netizens to verify news they received online before spreading it.
“Don’t resort to fitnah (slander).
“For those who believe in the afterlife, remember you have to be accountable for your sins and that includes fitnah.”
Nadzim said big companies may be able to shake off the effects of such damaging rumours, but for small companies, it could ruin them and affect the company’s employees.
He also urged companies to act faster to dispel any rumours, saying that when there was no official information on a matter, it would travel fast through the grapevine.