Friday, November 05, 2004
Ensuring ‘halal’ compliance
The Star Online > Last 7 Days > 2 Nov, 2004 > Focus
Tuesday November 2, 2004
By Mazilan Musa, Senior Fellow & Director, Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia.
FIRST of all, I would like to wish Ramadan al-Mubarak to all Muslim readers. May God give us the strength to face the challenges during this fasting month.
God willing, we will succeed in this self-purification process.
However, let’s not forget the suffering of Muslims in other parts of the world who are less fortunate.
At this time of the year, our sympathy and prayers should go to Muslims in southern Thailand, Iraq and Palestine.
While Muslims in those countries fast under the threat of bullets, mortars and bombs, Muslims in Malaysia are struggling to ensure that their food remain halal (lawful) and tayyib (good).
During this fasting month, Muslims are especially reminded to observe what they eat.
Allah says to the effect: “Eat of the things which Allah has provided for you, lawful and good, and fear Allah, in whom you believe.” (Al-Quran, Chapter 5: Verse 88).
Some food products the supply of which is intended for Muslims are non-halal as a result of an incorrect slaughtering process.
Food products can also be pronounced non-halal due to their contents.
The observation of what they consume is of particular importance to Muslims as it may affect the acceptance of their prayers by God.
Every now and then, Muslims in this country are shocked by revelations that certain food supplied to them are not halal.
Among the most recent incidents is the revelation about the supposedly halal dressed chicken kept in the same storage area as dressed piglets.
Many Muslims may also feel cheated when informed that some of the restaurants that they patronise serve non-halal foods despite displaying the halal logo.
How about hotels?
It is a known fact that many hotels, some of which are parts of international hotel chains, do not have halal certification.
And yet they serve Muslim customers.
It is indeed a great challenge to the Muslims in this country to ensure the lawfulness and goodness of their food and beverages.
This is partly due to the fact that the majority of the producers are non-Muslims.
To many of them, a halal food business is just like any business that they should venture into as long as it remains profitable.
I believe there are three main problems involving the violation of the halal food production –
Irresponsible and insensitive entrepreneurs,
Irresponsible and insensitive Muslim workers at the production sites, and
Insufficient and ineffective enforcement.
Firstly, non-Muslim producers should ensure that the lawfulness and goodness of the food products are maintained at all times.
In the case of an abattoir, the owner has to ensure that lawfulness and goodness are ensured throughout the production process – from slaughtering to storage.
This is the responsibility that the entrepreneurs agree to accept when they apply for the halal certification from the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim).
They are entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that the foodstuff rolling out of their facilities are lawful and good for the consumption of Muslims.
To do otherwise is a breach of contract and a betrayal to Muslim consumers.
Secondly, it is also fair to suggest that Muslim workers employed by the business owners are partly responsible for the production and supply of halal products to Muslim consumers.
As Muslim workers, they have the religious responsibility to report to the relevant authorities should there be any malpractice at their workplaces.
It is wrong and sinful for them to remain silent despite being aware of wrongdoings at their workplaces.
Their silence denotes their collaboration in misleading Muslim consumers.
This is in fact a betrayal of them as well as the religion.
Thirdly of course, enforcement is a relevant issue.
Lack of manpower has long being blamed for the insufficient and ineffective enforcement.
However, it is rather unfair to point fingers at the authorities.
I think this is a failure at the system level.
Effective enforcement cannot be achieved without an effective system.
The lawfulness and goodness of the products must be enforced internally and externally.
What we have now is only external enforcement by the relevant authorities.
I would like to raise one question.
What will happen to the production process once the owners or business entities get their halal certification from Jakim?
Is there any constant and continuous supervision to uphold all the rules and regulations required by the certification?
The answer is that nobody knows what really happens after they have received their halal certificates.
The relevant authorities may perform periodical and spot checks on them.
But this is insufficient to ensure the constant and continuous lawfulness and goodness of the products.
An effective enforcement system must be internalised within the production system.
I would like to suggest that an internal mechanism be adopted at the firm level.
A firm which is licensed to produce halal products should be required to appoint a Halal Compliance Officer to monitor and supervise all the processes and procedures related to the production of halal products to ensure that they complied with the rules.
A Halal Compliance Officer must possess adequate knowledge in Shariah (Islamic jurisprudence) and some basic technical knowledge about food production.
This has been practised by Jewish communities to ensure that their food and beverages remain kosher all the time.
Finally, the responsibility of ensuring the lawfulness and goodness of the products really lies with Muslims, especially the consumers.
They must be diligent and prudent in selecting food products.
Only then will the producers be sensitive towards their needs.
Tuesday November 2, 2004
By Mazilan Musa, Senior Fellow & Director, Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia.
FIRST of all, I would like to wish Ramadan al-Mubarak to all Muslim readers. May God give us the strength to face the challenges during this fasting month.
God willing, we will succeed in this self-purification process.
However, let’s not forget the suffering of Muslims in other parts of the world who are less fortunate.
At this time of the year, our sympathy and prayers should go to Muslims in southern Thailand, Iraq and Palestine.
While Muslims in those countries fast under the threat of bullets, mortars and bombs, Muslims in Malaysia are struggling to ensure that their food remain halal (lawful) and tayyib (good).
During this fasting month, Muslims are especially reminded to observe what they eat.
Allah says to the effect: “Eat of the things which Allah has provided for you, lawful and good, and fear Allah, in whom you believe.” (Al-Quran, Chapter 5: Verse 88).
Some food products the supply of which is intended for Muslims are non-halal as a result of an incorrect slaughtering process.
Food products can also be pronounced non-halal due to their contents.
The observation of what they consume is of particular importance to Muslims as it may affect the acceptance of their prayers by God.
Every now and then, Muslims in this country are shocked by revelations that certain food supplied to them are not halal.
Among the most recent incidents is the revelation about the supposedly halal dressed chicken kept in the same storage area as dressed piglets.
Many Muslims may also feel cheated when informed that some of the restaurants that they patronise serve non-halal foods despite displaying the halal logo.
How about hotels?
It is a known fact that many hotels, some of which are parts of international hotel chains, do not have halal certification.
And yet they serve Muslim customers.
It is indeed a great challenge to the Muslims in this country to ensure the lawfulness and goodness of their food and beverages.
This is partly due to the fact that the majority of the producers are non-Muslims.
To many of them, a halal food business is just like any business that they should venture into as long as it remains profitable.
I believe there are three main problems involving the violation of the halal food production –
Irresponsible and insensitive entrepreneurs,
Irresponsible and insensitive Muslim workers at the production sites, and
Insufficient and ineffective enforcement.
Firstly, non-Muslim producers should ensure that the lawfulness and goodness of the food products are maintained at all times.
In the case of an abattoir, the owner has to ensure that lawfulness and goodness are ensured throughout the production process – from slaughtering to storage.
This is the responsibility that the entrepreneurs agree to accept when they apply for the halal certification from the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim).
They are entrusted with the responsibility to ensure that the foodstuff rolling out of their facilities are lawful and good for the consumption of Muslims.
To do otherwise is a breach of contract and a betrayal to Muslim consumers.
Secondly, it is also fair to suggest that Muslim workers employed by the business owners are partly responsible for the production and supply of halal products to Muslim consumers.
As Muslim workers, they have the religious responsibility to report to the relevant authorities should there be any malpractice at their workplaces.
It is wrong and sinful for them to remain silent despite being aware of wrongdoings at their workplaces.
Their silence denotes their collaboration in misleading Muslim consumers.
This is in fact a betrayal of them as well as the religion.
Thirdly of course, enforcement is a relevant issue.
Lack of manpower has long being blamed for the insufficient and ineffective enforcement.
However, it is rather unfair to point fingers at the authorities.
I think this is a failure at the system level.
Effective enforcement cannot be achieved without an effective system.
The lawfulness and goodness of the products must be enforced internally and externally.
What we have now is only external enforcement by the relevant authorities.
I would like to raise one question.
What will happen to the production process once the owners or business entities get their halal certification from Jakim?
Is there any constant and continuous supervision to uphold all the rules and regulations required by the certification?
The answer is that nobody knows what really happens after they have received their halal certificates.
The relevant authorities may perform periodical and spot checks on them.
But this is insufficient to ensure the constant and continuous lawfulness and goodness of the products.
An effective enforcement system must be internalised within the production system.
I would like to suggest that an internal mechanism be adopted at the firm level.
A firm which is licensed to produce halal products should be required to appoint a Halal Compliance Officer to monitor and supervise all the processes and procedures related to the production of halal products to ensure that they complied with the rules.
A Halal Compliance Officer must possess adequate knowledge in Shariah (Islamic jurisprudence) and some basic technical knowledge about food production.
This has been practised by Jewish communities to ensure that their food and beverages remain kosher all the time.
Finally, the responsibility of ensuring the lawfulness and goodness of the products really lies with Muslims, especially the consumers.
They must be diligent and prudent in selecting food products.
Only then will the producers be sensitive towards their needs.
