KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 — Local bakery chain Berry’s Cake House has removed its internal ban on writing “Christmas” on its cakes, following the government’s announcement that it does not prohibit halal-certified bakeries from doing so.
“We sincerely apologise to all our customers regarding the incident.
“This incident occurred due to our misinterpretation of the requirements for our halal certification,” Free Malaysia Today quoted Berry’s Cake House’s statement.
Last Saturday, an internal memo from the bakery chain prohibiting requests to decorate cakes with “Merry Christmas” or “Xmas greetings” went viral.
According to the memo, customers were given the option of using a “Season’s Greetings” cake topper instead and also said that this was because the bakery was abiding by Jakim’s halal requirements.
However, the memo drew criticism from people and many accused the bakery of practising racism and discrimination, causing an uproar.
Religious affairs minister Datuk Seri Na’im Mokhtar later clarified that there were no restrictions on festive greetings on cakes.
Jakim also stated on Facebook that there was no reason to prohibit halal-certified bakeries from writing any festive greetings on their cakes or related products.
