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KUALA LUMPUR – An Islamic agency responsible for halal certification has been the subject of a public backlash over a scandal involving contaminated halal meat and cakes sold in halal-certified stores.
Malaysians have criticized the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) for being more concerned with policing halal-certified stores than reassuring the public after news reports emerged that a union had imported non-certified meat, including meat from Kangaroo and potentially sick horse. to be sold as halal beef in the local market.
The public outcry came after Jakim announced on December 25 last year that halal-certified companies cannot display cakes with “Merry Christmas” greetings.
The agency warned that those who do so run the risk of invalidating their halal certificate.
The ad followed an incident in which a bakery refused to write “Merry Christmas” on a cake ordered by a customer, replacing the greeting with the words “Happy Holidays.”
The bakery did this apparently to comply with the rules set by the halal certification process.
Jakim’s announcement followed a December 24 tweet from Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, who said that companies can sell Christmas wish cakes as long as they are not displayed in the store.
The halal issue in multiracial Malaysia is a sensitive issue that can provoke racial tensions.
As the agency responsible for certifying products as halal or permitted use by Muslims, Jakim has often found himself at the center of controversy over the certification process.
The day after Datuk Dr. Zulkifli tweeted his message, opposition MP Parti Keadilan Rakyat Fahmi Fadzil urged the minister to focus more on the halal meat controversy than on Christmas greetings on a cake.
He said the tainted meat scandal involved not only the halal status of meat sold in Malaysia, but also issues of corruption and breach of trust.
“Between the issue of the cake and the meat cartel, I hope that @drzul_albakri is more focused and proactive on the issue of the meat cartel as it involves bribery, government administration, breach of trust and even treason” Fahmi said on Twitter.
Others also took to social media platforms to express their dissatisfaction.
Twitter user Effi Saharudin wrote on December 25: “The Christmas cake issue is distracting us from the bigger problem which is that 40 years of corruption leads to haram meat.”
During an emergency debate on the meat scandal in the Upper House last week, which was broadcast live on Facebook, netizens questioned Jakim’s apparent inertia.
“Jakim is as quiet as the minister of religious affairs … This is spoiling Jakim’s name,” said Normah Ramli, a Facebook user.
The Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association on Tuesday criticized what it saw as a lack of transparency and progress in the investigations into the meat scandal.
The association’s main activist, Datuk Nadzim Johan, said that he had provided information about the union’s activities to different agencies before the news was released.
He added that the association had a meeting on November 25 with organizations such as the Malaysian Department of Inspection and Quarantine Services (Maqis) and the police on the matter.
“Like all Muslim consumers, we are concerned that no action will be taken against those responsible.
“Taking immediate action will send a strong signal to other unions involved in other crimes and ultimately protect our consumers,” Nadzim told The New Straits Times.
He also alleged that the politicians were influenced by the union that told government officials that it was cheaper to import the meat products than to produce them locally.
Last week, Jakim responded to criticism by saying that he was not participating in the investigation, adding that 300 government agencies are involved in the halal certification process.
Democratic Action Party MP Steven Sim said the scandal also affects non-Muslims.
“The issue of meat cartels is not just a problem for Muslims. Now, the quality and nutrition of all our food is a question mark,” he said.
“If non-halal meat can enter (Malaysia) due to corruption, is it possible that diseased or contaminated meat can also enter?”
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