Nasi kandar babi: Mufti says non-halal notice can clear confusion

Penang mufti Wan Salim Mohd Noor sees nothing wrong with selling nasi kandar with pork as long as there is a clear notice for Muslims about the ingredients.

Since non-Muslims are not tied to Islamic laws, which forbid the consumption of pork, he said they are free to prepare and sell non-halal food to other non-Muslims.

"However, premises that sell non-halal food have to advertise it or put up a notice on the food's status so that Muslims do not consume it.

"The authorities must ensure that premises selling non-halal food do this," he told Malaysiakini.

Salim was asked to comment on the remark by Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) Jawahar Ali Taib Khan who disagreed with the posting of a video clip about the dish on social media.

According to Jawahar, it could cause confusion to customers and give a negative image to the much-loved menu.

Nasi kandar with pork dish

Earlier, former Selangor executive councillor Teng Chang Khim dismissed the claim as illogical.

“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.

Meanwhile, Wan Salim said the Quran prohibits Muslims from consuming pork as it is considered "unclean."

In addition, he said pork meat could also contain a type of parasite called “Trichinella”, which can pose health hazards to humans.

Trichinella can lead to Trichinosis, which can be contracted by consuming raw or undercooked meat from animals infected with the parasite.

This includes meats from pigs (particularly when raised in unsuitable conditions), wild boar, bears, foxes and deer.

The infection may be prevented through hygienic food handling practices, particularly by ensuring the meat is sufficiently cooked to kill the parasite. - Mkini