COMMENT | The ham and cheese sandwich issue is still sizzling on the grill. It has gone even further with a test on the chicken ham to detect pig DNA.

But here's the problem. On Jan 15, Malaysiakini reported that the chicken ham did have a halal certificate from the Islamic Development Department (Jakim). As for the cheese, it had a halal certification from Austria.

Now, if the ham is already certified halal by Jakim itself, it's puzzling why further DNA tests on it are needed.

The certification was issued to Lucky Food Processing, which had supplied the chicken ham to Shake and Bake Cafe, the maker of the sandwich. The certification is valid until April 15, 2025.

This means that even having a halal certificate may not deter overzealous officials from all kinds of enforcement actions, especially if a politician raises a ruckus about it.