Malaysian coffee shop files police report after Facebook page sparks confusion over “Mee Pok” menu item

A 95-year-old coffee shop in Segamat, Johor, has reportedly filed a police report after a Facebook page appeared to raise questions about one of its noodle dishes.

The controversy centred on the words “Mee Pok Sup” listed on the eatery’s menu. The name reportedly led to confusion online, with the establishment subsequently accused by some of having pork on its menu.

The coffee shop, Nan Yang Coffee Shop, has since clarified that it does not use pork or lard in its dishes and has never claimed to hold halal certification.

Facebook post sparks confusion

According to The Rakyat Post, the owner discovered the Facebook post on Aug. 7. It had been published by a page called Halal inquiry Company direktori, which describes itself as a halal awareness and company directory page based in Johor Bahru.

The post reportedly did not explicitly accuse the coffee shop of selling pork.

Instead, it noted that “orang M” had been seen eating at the premises and highlighted the words “Mee Pok Sup” in a screenshot of the coffee shop’s menu.

The term “Mee Pok” refers to a type of flat noodle, with “pok” meaning flat in Teochew. It does not refer to pork.

Coffee shop files police report

Following the post, the owner lodged a police report at the Segamat police station on Aug. 7.

The coffee shop also reportedly submitted a complaint to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), alleging that the post was misleading and had affected the business’s reputation.

The Facebook page subsequently removed the original post and issued an apology, acknowledging that there had been errors and a misunderstanding in its post.

However, the apology reportedly came with restrictions on who could comment on it.

The coffee shop owner questioned why members of the public had been able to comment freely on the original post but were unable to have the same level of discussion after the correction was published.

Eatery says it does not use pork or lard

In a statement shared by Nan Yang Coffee Shop, the establishment confirmed that none of its dishes are prepared using pork or lard.

The shop also made clear that it does not possess JAKIM halal certification and has never represented itself as a halal-certified establishment.

It reiterated that “mee pok” is a Teochew term referring to flat noodles.

The incident reportedly affected the business, with the coffee shop claiming that its customer traffic from Malay customers had declined following the circulation of the Facebook post.

Several people commenting on the controversy said Muslim consumers should check whether an establishment has halal certification before dining there, particularly when a business has never claimed to be halal-certified.

Others took a more humorous approach to the situation, pointing out that “Mee Pok” refers to noodles rather than pork.

The incident has since highlighted how a simple menu term can potentially lead to significant misunderstandings when its meaning is taken out of context.