KUALA LUMPUR, Dec. 19 -- Umno Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh has called on the Melaka Islamic Religious Department (Jaim) to reconsider a directive reportedly prohibiting decorations in kitchens and outlets that have already obtained halal certification.

In a reel posted on his official Facebook account, the Merlimau assemblyman said halal status for food and beverages is "100 per cent based on the source of the ingredients and the method of preparation, not on the decoration in the kitchen or at the dining outlet."

The call comes amid controversy over an alleged ban on Christmas decorations in halal-certified hotels and food premises in Melaka.

According to Free Malaysia Today, Ayer Keroh assemblyman Kerk Chee Yee questioned...