Andrew Sia
Published: Jan 23, 2025 1:33 PM
COMMENT | The ham and cheese sandwich issue is still sizzling on the grill. It has gone even further with a test on the chicken ham to detect pig DNA.
But here's the problem. On Jan 15, Malaysiakini reported that the chicken ham did have a halal certificate from the Islamic Development Department (Jakim). As for the cheese, it had a halal certification from Austria.
Now, if Jakim had already certified the chicken ham as halal, it's puzzling why further DNA tests are needed.
The certification was issued to Lucky Food Processing, which had supplied the chicken ham to Shake and Bake Cafe Sdn Bhd, the maker of the sandwich. The certification is valid until April 15.
This means that even having a halal certificate may not deter overzealous officials from all kinds of enforcement actions, especially if a politician raises a ruckus about it.
This could erode trust in halal certifications. Companies may avoid applying for halal status and just say they are “pork-free”. Why risk any ham hullabaloo?
In future, it's possible that eateries, even those having halal certifications, can easily be accused by business - or political rivals of having something “sensitive” or “offensive”.
The rules are strict. Don't forget that in 2023, Jakim initially said that a “Merry Christmas” greeting written on a cake would void a bakery's halal certificate. That ruling, however, was changed after an uproar.
CSI forensics?
What if employees at a halal-certified restaurant forgot to change menu item names like beef “bacon”, “hot dogs”, or chicken “hamburgers”? And then a politician went on to “hammer”, pardon the pun, that the eatery was trying to “deceive” Muslims?
Will they then be forced to shut down? Will forensics teams with white suits like in the “CSI” TV series swoop in to take samples and “test” for the slightest traces of pork DNA?
Imagine a Chinese customer who had eaten charsiew (roast pork) for breakfast going to that restaurant for lunch. And then… he sneezed.
Would non-halal molecules be detected on the tablecloth? Would the restaurant owner then be crucified on social media?
Does all this seem bizarre? As far-fetched as DNA testing on chicken ham?
Business stability
MCA vice-president Wee Jeck Seng said issues over halal certifications should be resolved through proper channels instead of being escalated into political conflicts.
“When every business decision or product can be politicised, it will reduce Malaysia's appeal to investors.
"Businesses want to operate in a fair and stable environment, not in a climate of constant controversy and uncertainty,” he added.
Published: Jan 23, 2025 1:33 PM
COMMENT | The ham and cheese sandwich issue is still sizzling on the grill. It has gone even further with a test on the chicken ham to detect pig DNA.
But here's the problem. On Jan 15, Malaysiakini reported that the chicken ham did have a halal certificate from the Islamic Development Department (Jakim). As for the cheese, it had a halal certification from Austria.
Now, if Jakim had already certified the chicken ham as halal, it's puzzling why further DNA tests are needed.
The certification was issued to Lucky Food Processing, which had supplied the chicken ham to Shake and Bake Cafe Sdn Bhd, the maker of the sandwich. The certification is valid until April 15.
This means that even having a halal certificate may not deter overzealous officials from all kinds of enforcement actions, especially if a politician raises a ruckus about it.
This could erode trust in halal certifications. Companies may avoid applying for halal status and just say they are “pork-free”. Why risk any ham hullabaloo?
In future, it's possible that eateries, even those having halal certifications, can easily be accused by business - or political rivals of having something “sensitive” or “offensive”.
The rules are strict. Don't forget that in 2023, Jakim initially said that a “Merry Christmas” greeting written on a cake would void a bakery's halal certificate. That ruling, however, was changed after an uproar.
CSI forensics?
What if employees at a halal-certified restaurant forgot to change menu item names like beef “bacon”, “hot dogs”, or chicken “hamburgers”? And then a politician went on to “hammer”, pardon the pun, that the eatery was trying to “deceive” Muslims?
Will they then be forced to shut down? Will forensics teams with white suits like in the “CSI” TV series swoop in to take samples and “test” for the slightest traces of pork DNA?
Imagine a Chinese customer who had eaten charsiew (roast pork) for breakfast going to that restaurant for lunch. And then… he sneezed.
Would non-halal molecules be detected on the tablecloth? Would the restaurant owner then be crucified on social media?
Does all this seem bizarre? As far-fetched as DNA testing on chicken ham?
Business stability
MCA vice-president Wee Jeck Seng said issues over halal certifications should be resolved through proper channels instead of being escalated into political conflicts.
“When every business decision or product can be politicised, it will reduce Malaysia's appeal to investors.
"Businesses want to operate in a fair and stable environment, not in a climate of constant controversy and uncertainty,” he added.
Wee Jeck Seng
The concerns are real as red paint has been used to vandalise the KK Mart at Universiti Malaya that sold the sandwiches. Will petrol bombs be next?
Sum of the parts
Jakim said that the sandwich as a whole was using an expired halal certificate from a company taken over by Shake and Bake Cafe.
As I wrote in another article, this was more an administrative error of not renewing the halal certificate rather than a malicious act of trying to “trick” or “insult” Muslims.
However, we were told that even though the ingredients - the ham and cheese - were halal, the assembled package may not be, as the entire process must be audited.
To non-Muslims, this seems very stringent since bread and vegetables sold in Malaysia are already halal. How does adding halal chicken ham and halal cheese make it non-halal?
Lard is expensive and no Chinese would deliberately add that to a sandwich when palm oil is so much cheaper.
Sum of the parts
Jakim said that the sandwich as a whole was using an expired halal certificate from a company taken over by Shake and Bake Cafe.
As I wrote in another article, this was more an administrative error of not renewing the halal certificate rather than a malicious act of trying to “trick” or “insult” Muslims.
However, we were told that even though the ingredients - the ham and cheese - were halal, the assembled package may not be, as the entire process must be audited.
To non-Muslims, this seems very stringent since bread and vegetables sold in Malaysia are already halal. How does adding halal chicken ham and halal cheese make it non-halal?
Lard is expensive and no Chinese would deliberately add that to a sandwich when palm oil is so much cheaper.
It's also obvious that non-Muslims who do good business with Muslim customers will take care of that relationship. So, it's weird for politicians to insinuate that they are trying to “insult” Muslims.
Food apartheid?
Yes, rules are rules and businesses have to obey them, even if stringent. But how far do we need to go? Up to the level of DNA molecules?
What if a halal restaurant is within 10m of a stall grilling dried pork (bak kwa)? What if some smoke is blown into that restaurant? Will porcine DNA be found inside?
Will non-halal eateries thus be banned from operating near halal ones? Will our towns then be zoned into halal and non-halal streets? What about malls?
This food “apartheid” could be nearer than we think as Ipoh is already mulling over a ban on alcohol being sold in “Malay majority” areas.
But what number makes a majority? 80 percent? 65? 51? Will a census be needed every year to determine this?
I fear that non-Muslims like me will next be banned from going into Malay satay and beef rendang shops to avoid “contamination” - even if I promise not to sneeze.
Next, will ringgit notes need to undergo DNA testing? After all, they could have been handled by a market pork butcher the previous week. Or some whisky could have splashed onto them at a pub the night before.
All these are the logical results when we go into microscopic molecular morality.
Halal laundry
In 2017, a “halal laundry” in Muar, Johor said the clothes of Muslims should not be mixed up with non-Muslims. The Johor sultan stopped it.
“This is not a Taliban state and as the head of Islam in Johor, I find this action to be totally unacceptable as this is extremist in nature.
“This is Johor, which belongs to… all races and faiths. This is a progressive, modern and moderate state,” said Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.
He later added, “Think for yourselves. What about seats in public places that may have been licked by dogs?”
His Majesty added that ringgit notes may have also come in contact with pork or liquor sellers.
"Will the government then have to produce Muslim-friendly money?" he asked.
Strong royal points to ponder indeed as the authorities zoom in on pork DNA.
Bigger fish to fry
Zoom out, and we have to ask if the hyper-focus on micro molecules is missing the far bigger sin of corruption.
Omar Yaakob of the Muslim NGO Ikram pointed out that such crooked ways were clearly “dilaknat” (condemned as an abomination) by the prophet. While eating pork is a personal sin, corruption destroys society.
While the authorities are entitled to impose tests for pork DNA, perhaps they should also add other tests to safeguard society.
I wish there were stricter tests of pesticide residues on vegetables, of antibiotics on chicken and of boric acid preservatives in fish.
These are also harmful, maybe even more, to the health of Muslims and indeed, all Malaysians.
Next, how about a lie detector test for suspected corrupt leaders? This may be more effective than the “sumpah laknat” (swearing) at mosques.
We also have the DNAA test - the infamous “discharge not amounting to an acquittal”. It's probably easy to pass this test if one supports Madani.
In conclusion, let's please keep the fires grilling that ham sandwich under control. We don't want things to get burnt.
ANDREW SIA is a veteran journalist who likes teh tarik khau kurang manis. You are welcome to give him ideas to brew at tehtarik@gmail.com
***
kt comments:
I recall a post by the late RPK about a group of Malaysian-Malay Muslims (businessmen etc) on a visit to China. RPK was a member of the group. Among many stories he told, one which I clearly remember was because of the stark hypocrisy that RPK's story revealed.
During dinner some members of the group were quite vociferous about the halal-ness of the food offered by their Chinese host who were actually (would you believe it) also Muslims.
RPK reminded his readers that Islam entered China far earlier than the religion came to Malaysia (or Malaya), and that there were far more Muslims in China than in Malaysia, and that Chinese Muslims in China could actually understand the words in the Quran and not just read-recite the scripture without understanding the words as most Malay Muslims in Malaysia do.
He then revealed how the Malaysian personalities who were the ones MOST vociferous during dinner on the question of halal-ness of the food offered by the Chinese host (all Muslims), were by contrast most fantastically enthusiastic about "cari daging" at night, if you know what I mean, without ever raising questions about its halal-ness.
Thus, RPK lamented about the hypocritical contradictions shown by those people, where they were frightfully "righteous" before & during dinner about the halal-ness of "meat" offered, but turned 180 degrees the other way around when post-dinner they sought another type of "meat", instantly forgetting and perhaps even forgoing issues of its halal-ness.
No comments:
Post a Comment