Do Muslim patrons at no pork, no alcohol Chinese eateries deserve shaming by their brethren?

 

ONE wonders if the onus is on the proprietor of a “no lard, no pork, no alcohol” eatery (he never claims to be so) to turn away Muslim patrons just because the joint does not possess a JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) halal certification.

Such clarity is warranted in light of the recent exposé of Muslims dining in Hainanese-styled Sin Bee Chew Restoran in Bagan Luar, mainland Penang by Halal inquiry Company direktori [sic], a Facebook-based watchdog group that probes and shares information regarding the halal status of food premises and products.

“Sin Bee Chew, another harmonious dining spot in Penang,” it jibed while showcasing a few images of Muslim diners savouring their food at the kopitiam ambience restaurant.

What is understood in the food & beverage (F&B) industry is that the onus is not on the proprietor to turn away Muslim patrons but they are strictly prohibited from using “no pork, no lard, no alcohol” or “Muslim-friendly” signs without JAKIM certification to mislead consumers of their halal stratus.

This is deemed fair enough given the Cabinet has rejected mandatory halal certification, keeping it voluntary.

Henceforth, in the case of Sin Bee Chew which never professes to be “no lard, no pork, no alcohol” nor “Muslim-friendly” eatery, the onus is shifted to Muslim diners who must first asked themselves if they are confident enough to dine in a joint with no absolute halal guarantee.

A common-sense assumption is that the patrons are either open minded enough or have full faith in Sin Bee Chew to be dishing out ‘halal’ food and beverages.

The halal watchdog site is surely aware of this (it has no case against Sin Bee Chew), hence its last resort to discourage Muslims from frequenting the eatery is by belittling or shaming ‘delinquent’ Muslims who continue to patronise the restaurant.

In so doing, its one-liner post with a tinge of sarcasm is sure to rally fellow Muslims to turn against their brethren who require regular Chinese food fixes.

“Attire alone doesn’t reflect a person’s faith but a religion faithful will take care of both his/her attire and actions,” insinuated a commenter with reference to tudung/purdah-clad diners at Sin Bee Chew.

Another deemed the action of the Muslim diners “openly eating at non-Muslim joints” as irresponsible given they sent the wrong message to non-Muslims that “halal is equivalent to only no pork” when the concept itself is far-reaching (encompasses the entire supply chain and food preparation, among others).

Well, perhaps Halal inquiry Company direktori [sic] deserves credit for taking its effort to a creative level with a two-minute song – “Sin Bee Chew, Addictive and delicious, Once you taste it, you will definitely come back” to dissuade Muslims from patronising the restaurant.

Whatever the case is, the sure thing is Sin Bee Chew has not committed any halal breaches that warrant the authorities to act against the joint.

As such, perhaps the halal watchdog should probe further as to why Muslims are both comfortable and convinced that Sin Bee Chew ‘s food and beverages have met a certain halal level albeit unofficial. –  Focus Malaysia