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Mohd Iskandar Shah Bambang was already into his morning shift at his stall, Nasi Ayam Hainan Uncle NWT, also known as Nasi Ayam Hainan Aunty, in Taman Melawati – when he noticed a couple.
They were seated at the stall next to his.
The couple then asked one of Mohd Iskandar Shah’s staff who was the boss of the stall.
His staff pointed him out as the boss.
The couple did not move; they kept watching.
Mohd Iskandar Shah claimed that the couple looked like they were searching for something wrong and had stayed for approximately an hour.
A Question About A Name, Then A Demand For A Licence
When they finally moved, it was toward the payment counter of the neighbouring stall.
The couple questioned why the stall’s QR code carried a name that sounded, in their words, “macam nama India sikit.”
Then they asked for the neighbouring stall’s licence.
Mohd Iskandar Shah, who was standing nearby and witnessed the exchange directly, described their manner as “agak kasar” — rough.
Blunt.
Not the tone of a customer, nor that of a government officer either.
Because they were neither.
The Post Came First, The Facts Came Second
He claimed the couple were representatives of a Facebook page that conducts what it describes as halal verification visits to food businesses across Malaysia.
The page, known as Halal Inquiry Company Direktori (HICD), had previously posted about Uncle MWT, sharing an outdated image submitted via Messenger that showed a supplier’s halal certificate displayed on the premises.
HICD had previously posted about Uncle MWT, sharing an outdated image submitted via Messenger that showed a supplier’s halal certificate displayed on the premises.
The post implied the restaurant was misrepresenting its halal status.
The restaurant pushed back.
Management clarified that supplier certificates are no longer displayed on premises.
They published an FAQ explaining their ownership structure — a mix of Muslim and non-Muslim partners continuing the original founder’s legacy — and confirmed they do not hold an individual Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) halal certificate.
HICD removed the original post and issued a public apology for what it called a “technical mistake.”
When the Nan Yang Coffee Shop incident in Segamat, Johor, escalated into legal action against HICD, Iskandar Shah came forward with his.
No Authority, No Mandate, No Legal Weight, Just Clicks
JAKIM, Malaysia’s official halal certification authority, subsequently issued a statement.
The statement confirmed that HICD holds no authority, no mandate, and no affiliation with any official Malaysian halal certification body.
HICD is a Facebook page.
It has no enforcement powers.
The visits, the licence demands, the public posts — none of it carries any legal weight.
Mohd Iskandar Shah’s conclusion was measured: the business was entrusted (amanah) to him by the founder’s family, he is a Malaysian citizen, and both facts, he said, should have been easy enough to verify before anyone showed up at his door demanding a licence.
Benda yang sepatutnya jadi simple, tapi dia buat rumitkan — semata-mata untuk engagement.
Something that should have been simple, made complicated, for the clicks.
One Page Down, A New One Up, And A Promise Of 10 More
HICD’s original Facebook page — which had accumulated nearly 300,000 followers — is no longer active.
It was taken down following a sustained wave of public reporting, the final blow coming after the page falsely accused Nan Yang Coffee Shop of selling pork.
The basis of the accusation: a misreading of the noodle name Mee Pok.
The page did not stay down for long.
A new, identical page under the same name — Halal and Company Direktori — was set up almost immediately.
Upon its creation, the administrators posted a message in Malay:
Satu hilang, akan ada 10 lagi yang muncul. Nak mengaku kalah? Memang mustahil.
If one disappears, ten more will appear. Admit defeat? Absolutely impossible.
It was, in its own way, a mission statement — one that confirmed the original page’s removal had not prompted reflection, only regrouping.
READ MORE: Self-Appointed Halal Monitor Accuses 95-Year-Old Kopitiam Of Selling Pork, The Evidence Was A Noodle Name
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