Thirty-two law enforcement officers in the Malaysian district of Segamat dress up as cooks and waiters to catch Muslims who choose to eat during the holy month of Ramadan, the New Straits Times newspaper reported on Thursday that tea brewers and noodle chefs were selected from the department’s ranks to serve as Ramadan police officers.
These officials will be placed at 185 food premises where they will identify Muslims who aren’t fasting, snap a photo of them, and send it to the local religious affairs department.
Segamat Municipal Council president Mohamad Masni Wakiman told the New Straits Times: “We have specially selected enforcement officers who are dark skinned for the undercover job,” Dark-skinned officials were chosen because their cover will be more convincing since many restaurant staff is migrants workers.
Wakiman added: “They sound convincing when they speak in Indonesian and Pakistani lingo so that customers will believe they are really hired to cook and serve meals and take menu orders.” If a Muslim is caught breaking the fast by one of the officers, he or she might face a fine of up to $329 or up to six-month detention or both.
