KUALA LUMPUR – The fiasco over Merry Christmas greetings on cakes by local patisserie Berry’s Cake House has ended with an apology from its management.
In a statement posted on the door of its SS2 outlet, the management extended its sincere apology for misinterpreting the requirements of its halal certification, which had led it to bar its employees from writing Christmas greetings on cakes ordered by customers.
“This incident occurred due to our misinterpretation of the requirements of our halal certification.
“Following clarification from the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), there are no restrictions on halal certificate holders writing celebratory festive greetings on cakes for customers to take home.
“We are most happy to take orders with celebratory festive greetings,” the notice said.
On December 16, a Berry’s Cake House staff member confirmed that the patisserie would not be writing Christmas greetings on cake orders and would instead provide customers with “Season’s Greetings” card toppers.
This followed a photo of a notice dated December 14 by the patisserie that was circulated online, which explained that the ban on Christmas greetings was to comply with the company’s halal certification and requirements set by the Islamic Development Department (Jakim).
Jakim, however, later said there was no such requirement for halal certification.
On social media, some netizens have taken jibes at Berry’s Cake House, accusing it of maligning Jakim, while others accused it of going after cheap publicity. – December 20, 2023