Malaysia S Non Muslim F B Owners At Crossroads You Are Viewed With Suspicion With Or Without Halal Certs

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IT is seemingly impossible to placate the fuss over making halal certification obligatory for non-Muslim food & beverage (F&B) operators.
Such a reaction is observed after an encouraging revelation by the Halal Development Corp Bhd (HDC) that more than 70% of halal certification holders in Malaysia are non-Bumiputera companies is shot down instead by grouses that “they’re gradually penetrating the trust prior to invading the minds of Muslims”.
This came about even as HDC’s chairman Khairul Azwan Harun having emphasised that the applications submitted by these non-Muslim F&B players meet the JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) standard guidelines.
According to him, applications for full halal certification can only be submitted once a company has received recognition from the Food Safety is the Responsibility of the Industry (MeSTI); Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).

In fact, HDC CEO Hairol Ariffein Sahari had revealed on Jan 16 that thus far only 9,162 companies across various segments held halal certification recognition from JAKIM.
Instead of questioning the motive of non-Muslim F&B operators acquiring the halal certification – which is chiefly to eliminate concerns over porcine and alcohol elements – sensible Muslim netizens have called on their brethren to emulate their non-Muslim counterparts at least on the hygiene aspect of food preparation.
Such is the view gathered from comments generated by a Malaysiakini post on X.


Some commenters are either not convinced or sarcastically anticipated the response from the opposition faction.

A few were spot on to contend that non-Muslim F&B operators are far-sighted in wanting to capture a larger market slice while envious Muslims watch by the sidelines.

At the end of the day, the bottom line is – as one commenter rightly put it – “one gets condemned with or without the halal certification”.

- Focus Malaysia

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