Kuala Lampur, Jan. 29 -- Almost 20 years ago, in a case where the accused, a company, pleaded guilty to a charge of having illegally affixed a specified halal certification mark without approval of the Islamic authority on a packet of chicken nuggets contrary to the law, the trial judge imposed a sentence of fine almost the maximum fine under the law.

The facts of the case were straightforward. Sometime in August 2005, an employee of the Islamic authority found a few packets of chicken nuggets with the halal certification on the packaging in the course of a random inspection at a workers' canteen.

The chicken nuggets had been labelled under a brand by the accused. It was later ascertained by the Islamic authority employee that approval ...