Muslims Care More About Halal Food than Halal Income, Deputy Minister Says

Datuk Dr. Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki highlighted a significant concern in Malaysia regarding the focus on halal food while often overlooking the halal status of the income used to purchase it. In his keynote address at a seminar on Islamic financial institutions and charity, the deputy minister in charge of Islamic affairs pointed out that while Malaysians are highly vigilant about ensuring their food is halal, there is less attention paid to whether the funds used to buy that food are earned through halal means.

Dr. Asyraf emphasized that Islam is frequently perceived as solely related to worship, with the concepts of halal (permissible) and haram (forbidden) primarily associated with food consumption. He lamented that although there is significant concern about whether meat is slaughtered according to Shariah-compliant practices, there is less concern about the source of the money used to buy the food, even if that money comes from usury, interest, or corruption.

“This is a reality in our society today,” said Dr. Asyraf, who is also a senator in the Prime Minister’s Department. He stressed the need for a more comprehensive understanding of Islamic principles, which should encompass both the sources of income and the consumption of food.

In related news, Minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom recently announced that the authorities will not issue halal certification for non-alcoholic “beer” or products using “haram”-related names such as ham or bacon. The minister stated that the term “halal beer” conflicts with Malaysia’s halal certification manual procedures.

The Trade Descriptions (Certification and Marking of Halal) Order 2011 specifies that only the federal Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and state Islamic departments and councils can issue halal certification. This policy is intended to maintain the integrity of halal certification in Malaysia.

In a related development, the fast-food chain A&W changed the name of its signature root beer drink to “RB” in 2013 to secure halal certification for its outlets. This move followed concerns about the term “beer” and its implications for halal compliance.

Last October, the issue of halal certification came to the fore when an executive from US pretzel chain Auntie Anne’s revealed that their application for halal certification was denied due to concerns over menu items such as “pretzel dogs.”

To address halal dietary needs, some fast-food restaurants in Malaysia have adopted non-pork alternatives like turkey ham and beef bacon, and there are vegetarian versions of traditional dishes such as “bak kut teh,” a pork ribs soup.