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PETALING JAYA: Seputeh MP Teresa Kok has questioned whether the government supports the recent decision by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) on non-Islamic holiday greetings for halal certified shops.
In a statement issued yesterday, Jakim Deputy General Manager (Operations) Abdul Aziz Jusoh said stores that have their halal certification cannot display such holiday greetings on their products.
This clarification came after a bakery reportedly turned down a customer’s request to have a cake decorated with “Merry Christmas” as it was in the process of applying for halal certification.
Questioning whether Jakim will now issue similar rulings to ban halal-certified companies from creating decorations for non-Islamic festivals such as Chinese New Year or Deepavali, Kok also wanted to know if Jakim would cancel the halal certification of such stores if he did so as well.
“Malaysia is a multi-racial and multi-religious country.
“If the prime minister and the king have already extended public Christmas greetings to Christians in the country, is Jakim questioning them now?” Kok asked.
“The prime minister and the cabinet must take a position on Jakim. They should also seek legal opinion on whether Jakim has violated the Federal Constitution, “added the former Minister of Primary Industries.
Aziz said yesterday that while halal-certified stores can decorate cakes with “Merry Christmas” greetings, these cannot be displayed to the public.
Stating that Jakim’s policy is an “intervention” in companies that have obtained halal certification, Kok noted that such practices are not only hostile to private companies, but also outside of Jakim’s jurisdiction.
He also said that it put Jakim in a bad position and affected his image and that of the Perikatan Nasional government.
“I believe that no Islamic country in the world has implemented such divisive policies that they prohibit companies from selling halal products for non-Islamic festivals,” he added.
Prime Minister’s Department Minister (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Mohamad chimed in on the issue on Thursday when he said selling bakes with such greetings was acceptable as long as they were not displayed.
“If Store B with a Jakim halal certificate makes a cake with a religious celebration wish to display on their premises, that is not allowed. But if Store B prepares a cake that has a religious celebration wish that A ordered, that is allowed, ”he tweeted.
