Dennis Ignatius
~ Provoking discussion, dissent & debate on politics, diplomacy, human rights & civil society.
Halal certification: moving from controversy to constructive partnership
26SundayJan 2025
[1] The KK Mart ham sandwich issue has generated predictable responses with Muslims perceiving it as an indication of non-Muslim insensitivity and non-Muslims puzzled how such an issue can quickly turned into a major controversy replete with accusations, threats and police investigations.
[2] The fact that thousands of non-Muslim businesses have halal certification should tell us that non-Muslims are indeed trying to be sensitive to Muslim dietary requirements and want very much to accommodate their Muslim customers. This needs to be better appreciated and welcomed.
[3] Of course, sometimes mistakes are made, procedures are overlooked or not properly attended to. Stores like KK Mart carry thousands of items that may each require halal certification. And when you add to that items sourced from other vendors (as in the case of the ham sandwiches) the logistics involved can be quite challenging. It is by no means an easy regulatory regime to navigate. This too needs to be better appreciated.
[4] But such mistakes ought not to be automatically seen as signs of non-Muslim insensitivity or an attempt to belittle the dominant religion. After all, which businessman would want to deliberately create a firestorm that could result in boycotts, legal action and loss of customers?
[5] Everyone makes mistakes. For sure, businesses can do more to ensure that rules and regulations are properly adhered to. But when shortcomings are detected, wouldn’t it be more productive to respond with better education and training rather than condemnation and treating offenders as enemies of the faith? By all means act against those who violate the Trade Description Act (as is being done in the case of the ham sandwich vendor) or misuse the halal logo but can we not make every mistake or failure to observe the rules into a something sinister? Condemning, accusing and damming those who run afoul of halal regulations might serve a political end, but it is certainly not helpful. It just creates resentment and a hardening of attitudes on both sides of the religious divide.
[6] Besides, it seems like non-Muslims are often held to a higher standard than Muslims themselves when it comes to halal regulations. Remember the far more serious 2020 case of the meat cartel involving corrupt officials who passed off non-halal imported meat as halal? Were they charged in court? Were they threatened or condemned for insulting the dominant religion? In the end it was all covered up. Non-Muslim businessmen are not so fortunate. It appears that there are different sets of rules for Muslims and non-Muslims.
[7] Judging by media reports, part of the problem is also that the whole halal certification process is complicated and costly. Many Muslim-owned eateries, for example, don’t have halal certification simply because they can’t afford it. Apart from the costs, many non-Muslim businesses might like to have halal certification (who doesn’t want more customers?) but are afraid that one mistake or oversight could open them to all sorts of accusations, threats and police investigations.
[8] If religious authorities want to see wider acceptance of halal certification, perhaps they should do more to simplify procedures, cut red-tape and help non-Muslim businesses adjust to halal requirements. As well, they should see certification less as a money-making venture and more as a public service to promote wider voluntary acceptance of halal certification.
[9] Ultimately, there has to be a more constructive partnership between Islamic regulatory agencies and non-Muslim businesses; both have a vested interest in wanting to see halal certification implemented in a way that does not lead to confusion and controversy. Is that a bridge too far in a divided country like ours?
[Dennis Ignatius |Kuala Lumpur | 26th January 2025]
How could a undertable money scamming scheme be a constructive partnership with destructive societal element?
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