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With Malaysian media obsessing over the recent statements made by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) regarding halal certifications, I’m reminded of an incident a few years ago that involved my mother, tau sar pneah (mung bean biscuits), and a nasi lemak makcik.
It happened at our local morning market in Bukit Mertajam, Penang. After picking up some sotongs and ikan cencaru, my mom decided to grab nasi lemak from the usual makcik to satisfy my dad's breakfast cravings.
As she was about to leave, mom noticed some tau sar pneah at a bakery stall. Knowing how much my younger brother loves them—and how fast they sell out—she picked up a few rolls.
On her way out, the nasi lemak makcik waved mom over, signaling that she had something to say. Curious, mom walked back to the stall. The makcik pointed at the tau sar pneah in mom’s basket and asked, “Halal ke ni (Is this halal)?”
My mom, a bit surprised by the question, calmly explained that the tau sar pneah was made from vegetable oil and mung beans. If it contained lard, the Chinese seller would have informed her—after all, they always separated halal from non-halal items at the stall. Mom added that our family had been eating this same brand of tau sar pneah for years without ever doubting its halal status.
But the makcik wasn’t satisfied. She insisted that Muslims should only purchase products with an official halal certification and that anything without the symbol should be considered haram.
My mom, ever practical and open-minded despite being religious, wasn’t about to let this pass without a response.
"Nasi lemak yang kamu jual tu halal ka (Is your nasi lemak halal then)?" mom asked.
"Eh, mestilah halal. Saya buat sendiri (Of course, I cooked it myself)," the makcik replied, sounding slightly defensive.
Mom pressed on, "Ada cop tanda halal kat nasi lemak tu ka (Is there a halal certification on your nasi lemak packet)?"
Naturally, there wasn’t. The makcik explained that as a Muslim, her food was automatically halal and that Muslims should trust each other when buying from fellow believers. She also mentioned that her ingredients came from Muslim traders, further affirming their halal status.
Mom continued, "Banyak kedai orang Muslim jual makanan tepi longkang, penuh sampah, ada tikus dan lalat. Minyak masak tu guna sampai tiga empat kali—boleh buat orang sakit perut. Halal ke tu (Many Muslim food stalls operate by the drain, surrounded by rubbish, with rats and flies. They even reuse cooking oil multiple times, which can cause food poisoning. Is that halal) ?"
The makcik was silent, perhaps realising the irony.
Mom added, "Memang kita orang Muslim kena percaya antara satu sama lain, tapi kita juga manusia. Kenapa susah sangat nak percayakan manusia lain (Yes, Muslims should trust each other, but we are also humans. Why is it so hard to trust other people) ?"
Seeing the makcik’s discomfort, mom softened her tone and told her that she always buys her nasi lemak because she trusts the makcik. At the same time, mom also trusts the tau sar pneah seller, for he has never given her a reason not to.
Mom then gave the makcik salam and continued her way home.
I must say, I love this story so much. My mom is such an inspiration. If only we had more people like her, we could dream of a balanced Malaysia - where the voices of bold reasoning would match the non-stop nonsense we hear around us.
For what its worth, I sure am glad we have balsy leaders like Teresa Kok and Zaid Ibrahim who have the guts to speak up like true Malaysians.
While many other leaders, politicians and ordinary people choose to remain silent on the subject, I’m forever hopeful that one day, they will find their voices too.
Fa Abdul is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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