OLD TOWN WHITE COFFEE REINFORCES BEST ‘HALAL’ PRACTICE IN ALL OUTLETS

KUALA LUMPUR, 12 August - In Line With Its Rapid Expansion, Old Town White Coffee, Malaysia’s Largest “kopitiam” Chain, Has Reinforced Best ‘halal’ Practices In Its Outlets Nation-wide.

It Has Also Taken The Initiative To Request The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) To Conduct Ground Checks On The Outlets.

“Our centralised kitchen in Taman Perindustrian Subang is ‘halal’ certified by JAKIM. We are taking the additional initiative to further reassure our customers by approaching JAKIM to visit our outlets starting with those in Shah Alam and then, the rest of the outlets in other parts of the country,” said Old Town Group Chairman Datuk Dr Ahmed Tasir Lope Pihie.

“As a responsible F&B operator, we are committed to ensure that our customers will have an enjoyable experience dining at our outlets and also, it underscores the Group’s commitment to our Bumiputera franchisees whose numbers are expected to grow according to our expansion plan.”

Old Town White Coffee has also obtained “halal” certification from the Islamic Food Research Centre ASIA in line with its business plans to be an international food and beverage player.

The Group purchases fresh ingredients and other requirements only from ‘halal’ certified vendors and the list of suppliers are published on the back cover of Old Town White Coffee menus for the knowledge of customers.

“We do not compromise on ‘halal’ practices throughout our chain. We currently have over 160 outlets in Malaysia alone and every month, several new outlets are being opened.

“So, the process of ‘halal’ preparation and training of our staff, in particular the new intakes, is an important on-going programme to keep everyone abreast with the best ‘halal’ practices recommended by JAKIM,” Dr Ahmed Tasir said.

In fact, Dr Ahmed Tasir has taken over the task of leading a dedicated team within the Group to monitor the entire ‘halal’ processing chain after coming on board in November 2009.

The rest of the 10-men team comprises Muslim professionals working with the Group.

During the Ramadhan month, Old Town White Coffee has prepared three special meal sets for “Buka Puasa” and “Sahur” especially for the convenience of Muslims to break their fast and have pre-fast meals from 11 Aug to 15 Sept, 2010.

The meals sets feature Old Town White Coffee signature dishes such as Nasi Lemak Ayam Goreng, Mee Kari and Nasi Ayam Rendang that come with a selection of ice-cool drinks, delicious dates and Indonesian kuih lapis, and mouthwatering ice cream with sweetened red beans and cendol.

“Jom Sahur” meals are available from 3 am at the following 24-hour outlets in 13 locations. They are Lien Hoe (Johor); Jalan Alor, Menjalara, Yap Kwan Seng, Sri Rampai, Kuchai Lama and Cheras Midah (Kuala Lumpur); Subang Avenue, Plaza Puchong and Cyberjaya (Selangor); Gunung Rapat (Ipoh); Auto City and Bayan Baru (Penang).

On behalf of the Group, Dr Ahmed Tasir takes this opportunity to wish Muslim customers a blessed Ramadhan and looks forward to all Malaysians sharing this special occasion together in the spirit of 1Malaysia.

Short Description of Old Town Group Chairman

Datuk Dr Ahmed Tasir bin Lope Pihie, aged 58, is the Independent Non-Executive Chairman of OldTown Group. He was appointed to the Board on 10 November 2009. He holds a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Science and Technology Policy from the University of Manchester, Master of Science in Seed Technology from the University of Einburgh, Scotland and a Bachelor in Agricultural Science from the University of Malaya. He was with Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (MARDI) from 1972 to 1992 and last held the post as Director before he left the institute. He was Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia Industry-Government Group for High Technology (MIGHT) from 1993 to 2008. He is presently the Chairman of the Halal Committee for the OldTown Group, Executive Chairman of Malaysian Herbal Corporation Sdn Bhd, Chairman of the Strand Aerospace Malaysia Sdn Bhd, a Director of Inno Bio Ventures Sdn Bhd, Inno Biologics Sdn Bhd and SME Aviation Services Sdn Bhd. He also holds the post as Adjunct Professor of the University of Malaysia, Pahang.

SOURCE: KOPITIAM ASIA PACIFIC SDN.BHD (OLD TOWN WHITE COFFEE)

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:

NAME: Mey Efdi bin Barinas,
SENIOR MANAGER
TEL: 03-8061 7471
FAX: 03-8060 4660
MOBILE: 016-5553335
E-MAIL: efdi@oldtown.com.my
Website: http://www.oldtown.com.my/

DATE OF RELEASE: 12 AUGUST 2010
RELEASED BY BERNAMA,MEDIA RELATIONS & EVENT MANAGEMENT