What’s halal and not is no simple matter as pointed out by netizens

 

FOR restaurants and food distributors, having a halal certificate goes a long way towards gaining more customers in Malaysia, the malay-muslims representing the majority of the population.

However, this is one topic that leads down a deep rabbit hole when analysed through various angles. Is a muslim-owned restaurant or food manufacturer halal by default, or does the owner need a halal certificate to prove its compliance to Islamic laws?

A post by a netizen on X showed that this can be a sticky topic, and a sensitive one too considering it has garnered a sizable following on cyberspace.

According to the netizen, there is a difference between a non halal restaurant and one that does not have a halal certificate.

If a restaurant is deemed non halal just because it lacks a halal certificate, then this shall be a problem for roadside stalls. 

Netizen Roszaidi claimed that a muslim-operated shop does not require a halal certificate. 

However, his opinion did not sit well with quite a number of netizens who said that cleanliness of the premises will affect its halal status.

Another netizen said that the presence of a halal certificate is also an indication to the cleanliness of the business operation.

Mexaze observed that there are some non halal restaurants that suddenly become halal due to the sight of Malays eating there and there cook being a Malay.

The netizen went on to say that this was a common occurrence at the malls in town and wondered how the masses could jump into such a conclusion.

Netizen alphy also raised a pertinent point, stating that roadside stalls may procure cheap ingredients from sources that are non-halal.

Looking through the comments and pondering the technical difficulty of determining halalness, it would appear that Muslims have to be extra careful if they wish to adhere fully to the strictures of their faith.

Either that or one can go with the “if the operator is muslim, then it is halal,” assumption which a number of netizens are adhering to, which simplifies matters. But is that the right way? – Focus Malaysia