‘Serve No Pork’ means just that, not that food is halal

Putting up signage that read ‘Serve No Pork’ does not mean restaurateurs were trying to influence customers that their outlets served ‘halal’ food.

“They are just saying they do not serve pork,” Sarawak Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism’s (KPDNKK) state enforcement chief Abdul Hadfiz Abdul Rahim was reported by The Borneo Post as saying.

He also said the matter was not an issue in the state as no complaints had ever been lodged with authorities.

Abdul Hadfiz said this when asked to comment on a statement by his enforcement director, Mohd Roslan Mahayudin that ‘pork free’ did not equate to ‘halal’ food.

Muslims are prohibited from consuming pork, which is considered ‘haram’ in Islam.

Recently Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki called for action to be taken against food outlets that he accused of misleading Muslims into thinking the food served was halal due to the “pork-free” signage.

Asyaf also said only food at outlets that carried the halal certificates from the Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim) could be consumed by Muslims.

Abdul Hadfiz, the Borneo Post reported, said it was premature to say that operators of such outlets were acting with malice against Muslims.

He also admitted such an issue in Sarawak was quite tricky and malice on the part of the food operators may be hard to prove.

source: freemalasiatoday