Many Have Benefited From The Halal Certification And Logo

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HALAL could be items, behaviours, or actions permissible in Islam. Items may be inedible such as leather or edible such as meat.
Whether food is halal or not depends on the type of animal, how the mammal or bird is slaughtered, the facilities used to process and keep it clean and fresh, plus the ingredients and kitchenware used for cooking and storage. In other words, the entire chain until food is consumed.
Halal behaviours and actions refer to a way of life that includes honouring parents, respecting people, keeping promises such as repaying loans. Malaysia stands tall in the Islamic world, being the pioneer in Islamic financial institutions and halal certification systems.
Indeed, any nation that can practise fully the halal way of life will easily stand head and shoulders above all other nations.
To begin with, it will be corruption-free. However, if we cannot achieve the near impossible, we can still be very good by getting our priorities right.
In 1974, the first halal certification letters were issued by the Islamic Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Office, and later the Trade Descriptions Act 2011 gave the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) the authority to certify halal foods and services.
Halal certification is meant to protect consumers from false halal claims and misrepresentations of halal products, meet the needs of the Muslim population, and create opportunities for businesses that comply with halal requirements.
In 2023, JAKIM disclosed that 72% or 165,026 out of a total of 229,024 products with halal certifications in the country are owned by non-Muslim companies.
As of July 2024, 58% or 9,146 companies in Malaysia with halal certification are owned by non-Bumiputra companies.

In 2012, my younger daughter dined only at restaurants displaying the halal logo in Xi’an, China. She is not a Muslim but chose to play safe. Both Muslim and non-Muslim individuals and businesses have benefited from halal certification and logos globally.
Although halal logos serve as a very good guide, they are not the be-all and end-all, but more of a technicality. For example, the food may not be halal even if the establishment is certified and displays a halal logo if uncooked meat and fish are left exposed and have started to rot.
Foods sold at many eateries are not halal if they are not fresh or dirty, even though the healthy mammals or birds were slaughtered painlessly by a Muslim.
Daily, those who suffered from food poisoning went unreported. We only get to know when a big group is down with food poisoning.
But there was little hue and cry except over the halal logo. Under the Trade Descriptions (Certification and Making of Halal) 2011, companies guilty of misusing the halal label could be fined up to RM200,000 for the first offence and up to RM500,000 for subsequent violations.
The penalties for individuals are halved but could also be imprisoned for up to three years for the first offence and up to five years for subsequent violations.
As such, hawkers and owners of small businesses prefer not to use or display the logo even though their products are halal.
Undoubtedly, penalties under existing laws for any party guilty of misusing the halal logo are already high and the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) with an army of 2,200 enforcement officers are ever vigilant.
There is no need for politicians, academics and religious leaders to overact over the recent “ham and cheese” issue but to accord greater respect to KPDN to handle the matter under its jurisdiction. Moreover, bacon and ham are no longer made only from pork for many years. 
YS Chan is master trainer for Mesra Malaysia and Travel and Tours Enhancement Course and an Asean Tourism Master Trainer. He is also a tourism and transport business consultant.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.

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