The Islamic Development Department (Jakim) will no longer obstruct business premises with halal certification from placing festive greetings on food products, such as cakes.
More significantly, the department known for issuing contentious edicts stated that it would conduct a review on matters related to the halal certification procedures.
“Jakim will conduct a review and re-evaluation on all matters related to the halal certification procedure manual. Jakim’s statement issued in 2020 is invalidated with this explanation,” the statement read.
According to the statement issued in December 2020, premises with halal certification were allowed to place festive greetings on products only if the goods were not meant to be put on display.
On Sunday, Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, minister in the Prime Minister’s Department for Religious Affairs, said there were no restrictions on halal-certified premises writing celebratory festive greetings on cakes for customers to take home.
He urged Jakim to clarify the issue immediately and also produce a video on the issue to ensure that everyone understood the matter.
The confusion and outrage, however, did not end with the minister’s reassurance.
This is because the department had, on Nov 1, responded to a similar issue on the use of “Merry Christmas” greeting on cakes by saying: “Jakim stresses that festive greetings are allowed on products if they were not made with the purpose of being displayed in the premise (sic) that has the halal certification or on products marked with the halal logo.
“This is because there are no provisions about the celebration of any festival including Islamic celebrations stated in the Malaysian Halal Certification Procedure Manual (Domestic) 2020. Products with the halal logo meant for display may also not bear such greetings.”
The furore was triggered on Dec 14 after the Berry’s cake house chain did not allow Christmas greetings on its cakes, in complying with Jakim’s directives on maintaining halal certification.
An image of an internal memo from Berry’s operations manager Daniel Teoh to employees, citing the directive, was widely shared on social media, resulting in allegations of discrimination against the confectionery and ridicule of Jakim’s rationale over the ruling.
Was there a need for such a directive in the first place?
Let’s look at Section 17 (6) (c) of the Malaysian Halal Certification Procedure Manual cited by Jakim on Nov 1.
Section 17 covers general requirements while clause 6 applies to packaging, labelling and advertising.
Sub-clause (c) states:
“Labelling and advertising of products and services must not use statements, symbols, terms or names with religious and divine elements such as the names of God, sunnah foods (foods that Prophet Muhammad recommended or frequently consumed), deities and the like.”
Do the words “Merry Christmas” or “Merry Xmas” fit into any of the categories above? It smacks of yet another decision made by a little Napoleon trying to flex his power of authority.
Halal originates from an Arabic phrase, which means that which is allowed or permitted by Islamic Law.
According to the Trade Description Order, 1975, the term is used in relation to food in any form, in the process of trade or commerce as an aspect of trading or part of it, “Halal”, “Guaranteed Halal” or “Muslim Food” or any other term that may be used to indicate or may be understood as meaning to indicate as permissible to be consumed by Muslims and allowed in their religion.
It does not stem from or consist of any part of or item from animals that are forbidden to Muslims by Islamic law, or animals that have not been slaughtered according to Islamic law and do not contain any substance that is considered impure in Islamic law.
This also applies to what is not prepared, processed or manufactured using equipment or utensils that are not free from impurities as defined by Islamic law, and that the preparation, processing or storage does not come in contact with or is stored near any kind of food or any substance that is considered impure by Islamic law.
These definitions cover food and beverages, consumer goods, food premises and slaughterhouses.
While Jakim’s decision to conduct a comprehensive re-assessment of the halal certification procedures is a welcome move, perhaps the department should also better educate its officers on the fundamental liberties guaranteed to all citizens in the Federal Constitution.
Furthermore, no person shall be compelled to pay any tax the proceeds of which are specially allocated in whole or in part for the purposes of a religion other than his own.
These reminders are necessary because religious controversies, often linked to political machinations, have become too common, threatening the foundation of national unity.
Media consultant M. Veera Pandiyan likes this observation by Irish statesman Edmund Burke: “The greater the power, the more dangerous the abuse.”
The views expressed here are the writer’s own.
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