Former agriculture and agro-based industry minister Salahuddin Ayub told New Straits Times the importer approached him a few months after Pakatan Harapan took over Putrajaya in 2018, in what was supposed to be an “introductory session” with industry players.
However, the Amanah deputy president felt that something was wrong when he was offered holiday packages to Europe as a “courtesy visit”.
“They offered luxurious holiday packages to me and my family. An all-expenses paid trip to Europe. But I had to decline,” he told the newspaper in an interview.
However, Salahuddin said he did not lodge a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) as he was unsure about the “nature” of the offer, while the company did not ask for anything in return.
He said the company that offered him the vacation was doing business with several slaughterhouses in India exporting meat to Malaysia.
He said he tried to address the issues involving meat imports during his time in office, especially after he found out that there was a monopoly on the import of frozen meat.
“We received reports that a company had been monopolising the supply from existing abattoirs, so I added a few more to overcome the issue,” he said, explaining that his aim was to break the monopoly.
“But we faced a host of bureaucratic issues. The agencies had asked for justification on why we needed to certify more abattoirs when what we already had were enough for the Malaysian market.”
The Cabinet, he said, had to be roped in before approval was finally granted.
Salahuddin also said he wanted to bring MACC and NGO representatives to accompany officials from the health ministry, Veterinary Services Department and Islamic Development Department during their visits to slaughterhouses before import approvals were issued.
This was to ensure transparency and that any corrupt practices in the sector would be tackled, he said, while guaranteeing that the products were safe for Malaysians and halal.
“But it did not happen. It needed more than just one term to materialise. I also wondered, when these government agencies go there, who takes care of them?”
He reiterated his call for a royal commission of inquiry to be formed to probe the meat cartel scandal, saying it was the best way to investigate the matter.
It was reported that senior officers from at least four government agencies were believed to be working hand in glove with a cartel specialising in bringing non-certified meat, including kangaroo and horse meat, into Malaysia and passing it off as halal-certified products.
Unnamed sources reportedly claimed these senior officers, entrusted with ensuring that halal standards were upheld, had instead received bribes and sexual services in exchange for ensuring the cartel’s operations went undetected.
The only countries that have been certified by the Malaysian authorities for the import of halal meat are Australia, Argentina, Brazil, India, South Africa, Pakistan, Japan, New Zealand and the US, with imports handled by Jakim and the Veterinary Services Department.