It looks like the ongoing commotion over a proposal by the country's religious affairs minister to make it mandatory for all restaurants that don't serve pork and alcohol to be halal-certified simply refuses to die down!
With Umno Youth and Bersatu Youth already engaged in a war of words with DAP leader Teresa Kok over the matter, and with the latter in the midst of filing a lawsuit against her “attackers”, now it seems to be PAS' turn to throw its hat in the ring.
In fact, the Islamist party's secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan appeared to have dropped a bombshell when he said recently that non-Muslim-owned eateries without a halal certificate should not accept Muslim patrons to dine in its premises; furthermore, he stressed that they are also not allowed to give the impression as if the food products offered by them are “Muslim-friendly.”
However, the PAS leader’s take on the matter is bound to raise several prickly issues; firstly, how is the owner of a non-Muslim eatery without a halal cert supposed to know whether a walk-in client is a Muslim or not? Will they be required to ask for identity card?
Secondly, in the event a Muslim is caught having a meal in a non-halal restaurant owned by a non-Muslim, will the premises owner be penalised? After all, being a multiracial society with many Malaysians coming from mixed parentage as well as east Malaysian natives who may look like Malays, and talk like Malays, but are actually non-Muslims, how do restaurant owners distinguish them? Will the customers be asked to sign a “declaration form” to confirm their religion before they are handed the menu?
Thirdly, how about Muslim tourists from foreign countries? How will the non-Muslim restaurant owners without halal cert ascertain their religion; will the guests be asked to produce their passports?
Yet, what is mind-boggling is that even in the midst of all the potential confusion and chaos, the PAS leader was actually quoted as saying that the proposal by the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) only affected Muslims and their right to consume food that is guaranteed "halal". (Really?)
“True, the proposed ruling will affect Muslim customers… but on the flip side won't it also affect ‘non-Muslim business owners?’
Perhaps, Takiyuddin could be forgiven because things may be a bit more straightforward in PAS-ruled states such as Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu which are all overwhelmingly Malay-Muslim-majority; but what about in the Klang Valley and in places like Pasir Gudang, Johor which is said to have a high number of east Malaysians many of whom could be easily mistaken for a Malay-Muslim?
In fact, the PAS MP for Kota Bharu had even urged Teresa to exercise caution when making remarks that might cause tensions; he went on to allege that by suggesting that the proposal by Jakim violates the rights and freedoms of non-Muslims, Teresa may be implying Islam in this country was posing a ‘threat’ to them. But then, as what some may be compelled to ask: didn’t that seem like an overreaction?
Furthermore, the PAS strongman slammed the DAP leader’s opposition to the proposal as an irresponsible and misguided action, seemingly aimed at creating division; but again, as what many observers may tend to ask: what exactly caused the “division” in the first place?
Perhaps, a more frank and objective view of the entire controversy was offered by the respected veteran newsman Datuk Zainul Arifin who said the matter actually blew up because it came from Teresa, a non-Muslim from DAP; this prompted some politicians (read: ambitious “young turks” from Bersatu and Umno) to make it their cause to castigate her - and so they lodged police reports against the DAP veteran.
Furthermore, according to him, obtaining a halal certification should be a “business decision” and not a business requirement as it is expensive, tedious and bureaucracy-laden, and not everyone can afford it (just as what Teresa had alluded to?); he added that it also involves the auditing of the whole supply chain including where and how the products are sourced as well as how they are handled, prepared, transported and stored.
Coming back to what the PAS leader had said earlier about the onus being on those business owners without halal certification to bar Muslim clients from dining in their premises, the obvious question here is: why on earth should it be their responsibility to make sure their food meets a person’s religious needs?
In any case, the writer opined that perhaps, the minister, when proposing the idea, might not have thoroughly thought through his suggestion and the broad implications it would have on business and enforcement; apparently, it wasn’t even discussed in the cabinet! (So then, was this where the mayhem began?)
In closing, he stressed that it is a fact of life, especially in a multicultural and multi-religious country such as Malaysia that there will be places serving non-halal food, but this should not be an affront to Muslims or Islam; furthermore, according to him, while it will be helpful to obtain halal certification one should not outsource one’s religious obligations to Jakim.
Information source: Malay Mail and Scoop
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