JOHOR MAMAK SHOP RAIDED
NEWS
A mamak (Indian Muslim concept) restaurant which has been operating for 18 years at Pasir Gudang near Johor Bahru, the capital city of Johor state of Malaysia was raided by the authorities yesterday, reported worldabuzz and Harian Metro.
Magic charms to attract customers
The mamak restaurant was discovered to have used more than 30 types of magic charms to attract customers.
The practice is considered a serious offence in Islam and was uncovered after the authorities raided the eatery.
All the mystical charms contained Jawi (arabic writing character) sentences that do not have a clear meaning to them. The charms were hung all over the eatery, some were displayed in picture frames while the others were inside bottles and small containers.
The owner, who is a Muslim, never requested for a Halal certification from the authorities and only two out of 23 workers are Muslims.
The Johor branch director of Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Khairul Anwar Bachok told Harian Metro that the raid was carried out based on the complaints made by the restaurant patrons.
Believed to be brought in from India
He added, "initially the raid was only to check on the restaurant's Halal certification, but to our surprise, we discover these charms. We will let Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri Johor (state religious authority) deal with the charms which are believed to be brought in from India."
The eatery was instructed to take down all the charms because the practice might damage the faith of individuals.
In a separate interview, an officer who declined to be identified but familiar with the practices claimed that there were some eateries using used (unwashed) women's underpants and bras as items for magic charms. The items were then mixed with curry for a "fantastic taste". However, he clarified that he spoke in his personal capacity.
Unwashed women's underpants and bras are part of items for magic charms
In a separate interview, an officer who declined to be identified but familiar with the practices claimed that there were some eateries using used (unwashed) women's underpants and bras as items for magic charms. The items were then mixed with curry for a "fantastic taste". However, he clarified that he spoke in his personal capacity.
Mamak losing business due to alleged charms and smoking ban
The Star reports that most mamak restaurants in Johor are drastically losing business because Muslim customers are losing trust in them for the alleged use of charms, on top of the smoking ban.
Edited and partly written
by Fauzi Kadir
Permadu Malaysia/Permadu Harmony
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2019 Fauzi Kadir Copyright
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