Make halal certification compulsory for slaughterhouses, govt told

KUALA LUMPUR: Slaughterhouse operators should be required to obtain Malaysian Halal Certification to address confusion among Muslims over the halal status of food products.

A source said the move had become increasingly urgent following a series of media exposés raising concerns about food consumed by Muslims.

The source said making halal certification mandatory was the only way to protect Muslims from the risk of consuming poultry that had not been slaughtered in accordance with Islamic requirements, as highlighted in a recent incident.

Some slaughterhouses, the source claimed, continued to disregard not only hygiene standards but, more worryingly, Islamic slaughtering requirements.

The source said a proposal to make halal certification compulsory for all slaughterhouse operators, restaurant owners and food manufacturers was brought before the cabinet in 2024.

However, the proposal was not implemented after it met with opposition from cabinet members.

Among the concerns raised was that mandatory halal certification could negatively affect non-Muslim business operators, who might perceive the requirement as forcing them to apply for certification.

"The cabinet did not agree at the time because of concerns over negative reactions from those opposing the policy.

"That is why we have retained the same policy to this day. Even after 52 years since Malaysia introduced halal certification, we have chosen to take a step backwards," the source said.

He said the voluntary nature of halal certification had created confusion, particularly among Muslims, over whether food producers complied with halal requirements.

A check by BH of a written parliamentary record dated Oct 14, 2024, showed that the government had decided to retain its existing voluntary halal certification policy.

The policy is administered by the Islamic Development Department, state Islamic religious departments and state Islamic religious councils.

The voluntary halal certification policy has remained unchanged since its introduction in 1974.