A former Selangor executive councillor has criticised those upset over the posting of a video clip promoting nasi kandar babi (mixed rice with pork) on claims that it may create confusion among Muslims.
Going by that logic, Teng Chang Khim said, then Muslims should also stop selling versions of Chinese foods that traditionally contain pork or lard.
"If that were the logic that Muslims could be so easily misled and confused, then all Muslims should stop selling dim sum, yong tau fu, chee cheong fun - which literally means pork intestines (referring to the name, not ingredients) - and all other Chinese foods, (that) largely contain pork and lard to avoid Muslims being misled and confused," he said on Facebook.
Teng (above) was referring to an article where the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) voiced disagreement with the posting of a video clip promoting nasi kandar with a pork dish.
Yesterday, Presma president Jawahar Ali Taib Khan reportedly said the action was considered a form of insult to the nasi kandar industry - which is known to have been pioneered by Muslim restaurant operators for decades.
"Presma thinks that it will cause confusion to customers and nasi kandar fans in this country as well as give a negative image to this much-loved menu.
"Thus, Presma would like to emphasise that the nasi kandar served at all Presma members' premises is guaranteed halal and free from substances forbidden by Islam," he said in a statement.
Nasi kandar is a popular dish from Penang, originally introduced by Tamil Muslim traders from India.
Jawahar also advised all content creators to be more sensitive to food matters that are associated with Muslims.
Previously Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Tiong King Sing asked ministry officials to examine the possibility of officially recognising bak kut teh as a traditional Malaysian heritage food.
He said in addition to the traditional version of the non-halal ingredient that uses pork, his ministry will look into the halal variant that has chicken.
‘Non-halal clearly stated’
Meanwhile, the operator of the non-halal nasi lemak and nasi kandar stall in question, Suresh G told Harian Metro he had no intention of causing confusion.
"I don't want to confuse anyone. I only do small business in shops that are clearly non-halal."
He explained that the nasi kandar babi is a special food and is a brand of business he has only been working on for less than a month.
"This is my third week in business. I just noticed this thing went viral yesterday. There used to be a restaurant but it has closed, that's when I made the decision to rent a stall in a Chinese shop.
"Since this is a non-halal shop, that's why I sell a non-halal side dish, which is pork. I don't want to upset anyone. I sell this food in a Chinese shop and not in a residential area. So, the customer is not Muslim.
"This menu has been my brand since I opened this stall. I don't think of stopping. After all, it is a 'speciality' here because the idea and 'branding' are like that," he said when met at his stall in Damansara Jaya, Selangor today.
Suresh believes selling the dish is not wrong, adding that similar dishes are sold in many other non-halal stalls around Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya.
"If you follow me on Instagram and Facebook, the word non-halal is clearly written. In fact, every post that is uploaded has non-halal in capital letters. I hope we inform customers and make it clear.
"Even the business logo shows the picture of the animal. So no one will be confused. I registered under the non-halal type of business.
"So, I feel that I did not do anything wrong. I do not want to insult or embarrass any party. I have no intention to touch any sensitivities and offend the feelings of other parties," he added. - Mkini
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