Halal cert blowup due to misunderstanding by various parties, says Kok

September 13, 2024

Halal cert blowup due to misunderstanding by various parties, says Kok

PETALING JAYA: Seputeh MP Teresa Kok believes that the recent controversy concerning a proposal for mandatory halal certification for food outlets is simply due to a misunderstanding by various parties.

Kok said she happened to meet two senior officers from the Islamic development department (Jakim) during a parliamentary committee meeting today.

She said Jakim deputy director-general Sirajuddin Suhaimee told her they had just given a statement to police at Bukit Aman as part of its probe into the DAP MP’s remarks on the halal certification proposal.

“It appears that the controversy over the halal certification was because it was misunderstood by various parties,” she said in a Facebook post.

However, the DAP vice-chairman decided against elaborating further, saying: “I think it’s best that I let Jakim explain the issue.”

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Last week, religious affairs minister Na’im Mokhtar said Jakim was considering a proposal for halal certification to be mandatory for eateries that do not serve pork and alcohol, adding that it was currently done voluntarily.

In response, Kok called for the halal certification to remain voluntary, saying the government should allow business operators to decide based on market demand rather than forcing them.

Her remarks irked several parties including Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, while Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim distanced himself from Kok, saying her views were personal and not Pakatan Harapan’s.

Meanwhile, deputy religious affairs minister Zulkifli Hasan urged all parties to remain tactful when expressing their opinions on issues, including the halal certification proposal.

“What we want to encourage all Malaysians to do is to be open-minded in accepting a diversity of opinions,” he said, according to Bernama.