Ex-deputy minister ponders on intolerance after nasi kandar saga

 

Unable to fathom the “nasi kandar babi” controversy, former deputy minister Mohamed Hanipa Maidin pondered on the level of tolerance in Malaysia.

Noting how some Muslims raised strong objections to the dish, he said: “I am flabbergasted by the whole affair.”

“Has intolerance been growing stronger in Malaysia?” he asked in a Facebook post.

As for the argument that Muslims could be confused, Hanipa (above) said unless Muslims patronised a non-Muslim restaurant for meals, “the confusion is next to impossible”.

He also reminded that respecting and honouring the rights of non-Muslims are “essential parts of the intent and contents of Islamic teaching”.

The nasi kandar with pork made headlines after it was promoted by a social media influencer, leading the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) to voice its objection.

Nasi kandar with a pork dish

Presma president Jawahar Ali Taib Khan said this was considered a form of insult to the nasi kandar industry - which is known to have been pioneered by Tamil Muslim restaurant operators for decades.

"Presma thinks it will cause confusion to customers and nasi kandar fans in this as well as give a negative image to this much-loved menu," he added.

Presma has since accepted stall owner G Suresh’s explanation that his dish is being served in a non-halal restaurant and there is a sign which indicates that the ingredients are also non-halal.

However, Jawahar said netizens should understand the origins of the dish before commenting on the matter.

Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association president Jawahar Ali Taib Khan

"One must understand that nasi kandar was originally introduced by Indian Muslims. It is a halal food where a plate of rice is sold by mixing various curries. Customers believe all nasi kandar sold at various outlets are halal.

"Nasi kandar babi creates confusion among customers. It has made nasi kandar a questionable term, creating negative implications as it has always been perceived to be halal.

"Of course, we cannot ask the name of nasi kandar to be given exclusively to us (the Indian Muslim community). But mislabelling it is the crux of the argument,” he told the New Straits Times.

Speaking to KiniTV yesterday, the 38-year-old stall owner said he bore no hard feelings against Presma.

He also revealed that business has boomed since the issue garnered media attention. - Mkini