A Liberal candidate who ran a halal shop in a Muslim-majority Sydney suburb was fined $880 for repeatedly breaching the food standards code. The Bangladesh Palace store in Lakemba was slapped with an $880 fine by Canterbury-Bankstown Council in July 2018. At the time local councillor Mohammad Zaman was also the secretary of Sydney Food Pty Ltd, the company which owns the store. A Liberal candidate who ran a halal shop in a Muslim-majority Sydney suburb was fined $880 for repeatedly breaching food standard laws (pictured is Mohammad Zaman, right, with state Labor frontbenchers Tania Mihailuk, left, and Jihad Dib, centre, the first Muslim lower house MP in the New South Wales Parliament) He is now the Liberal Party's candidate for Watson, and is campaigning on his small business credentials. Mr Zaman's grocery business was penalised for selling packaged and labelled food in breach of the food standards code. The breach, issued by the council, was made despite 'previous warnings', the New South Wales Food Authority said. Mr Zaman said he took steps 'to resolve the complicated issue of imported labels'. 'I was a director of the parent company that owns a multicultural produce store in Lakemba,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'I understand at the time there were some labelling issues related to some of the thousand imported products stocked in the store.' In 2017, Mr Zaman (left) was one of three Muslim councillors elected to the Roselands ward, along with Labor's Nadia Saleh (second right) and her running mate Mohammad Huda In 2017, Mr Zaman was one of three Muslim councillors elected to the Roselands ward, along with Labor's Nadia Saleh and her running mate Mohammad Huda. At the May 18 federal election, the 40-year-old Bangladeshi-born small businessman is running against senior Opposition frontbencher Tony Burke in the ultra-safe Labor seat of Watson, which takes in the Lakemba Mosque. Australia has just three Muslim federal MPs and should Mr Zaman be elected, he would be the first Islamic representative of the Liberal Party in Canberra, alongside Labor's Ed Husic and Anne Aly and Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi. 'I have been a candidate twice now,' he said. 'Ultimately my religion is my faith and very personal to me. 'First and foremost I am an Australian and work for Australians irrespective of race or gender. 'People from all races, faiths and creeds work together to support the Liberal Party and this great country.' His Bangladesh Palace store on Railway Parade on the main street of a suburb where 59 per cent of residents were Muslim in the 2016 Census. It is located next door to Banoful, a Bangladeshi restaurant, and is two doors down from the Al Rahmania Halal Butchery In Liberal Party campaign material, Mr Zaman touts his business credentials. 'As a small business owner, Mohammad knows that investment in business means more growth and more jobs for businesses and families,' it said. 'Mohammad is actively involved in our local community through his work in local associations and as a member of the Australia Bangladesh Business Council.' His Bangladesh Palace store on Railway Parade in Lakemba is in a suburb where 59 per cent of residents were Muslim in the 2016 Census. It is located next door to Banoful, a Bangladeshi restaurant, and is two doors down from the Al Rahmania Halal Butchery. At the May 18 election, the 40-year-old Bangladeshi-born small businessman is running against senior Opposition frontbencher Tony Burke in the ultra-safe Labor seat of Watson, which takes in the Lakemba Mosque (pictured in March following the Christchurch massacre) Mr Zaman's grocery business was penalised for selling packaged and labelled food in breach of the food standards code. The breach, issued by the council, was made despite 'previous warnings', the New South Wales Food Authority saidAll rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility