Posted on June 15, 2011, Wednesday
INTERESTING: Daud (second left) and others reacting to a point raised during the dialogue session of the ‘Halal Livestock Product 2011’ dialogue at the Islamic Information Centre yesterday.
KUCHING: Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (Islamic Affairs) Datuk Daud Abdul Rahman has called on Muslims to boycott eateries not certified halal by the Sarawak Islamic Affairs Department (Jais).
This he said was one of the means to curb illegal import of raw meat into the state which had cost the state government about RM216 million in losses.
Speaking at the ‘Halal Livestock Product 2011’ dialogue at the Islamic Information Centre yesterday, Daud disclosed that the illegal import made up almost 30 per cent of the total stock in the state. “The volume of chicken wings in Sarawak is above the volume produced by legal vendors. These excess numbers are illegally imported meat that goes under the noses of the state Veterinary Department as well as the state Customs,” said Daud, naming one of the popular meat products imported illegally into the state.
Daud, who is also Tupong assemblyman, said boycotting eateries without halal certification would lead to the eradication of illegal smuggling of raw meat into the state. He also said that it would not be a surprise if the losses go beyond the RM216 million mark. “When an outlet has a halal certification, the meat that they cook is from a verified source and definitely not smuggled in,” he added.
Daud also assured that Jais had carried out periodic spot checks on eateries and slaughter houses to ensure that they follow the halal certification requirements. He also said that without halal certification end users would not know the source of the meat, putting into question the meat’s hygiene, quality and halal verification.
On the unethical importers who are profit-driven, Daud said it was hard for the authorities to nab and control them due to the vastness of the state with an open access to the sea from almost every major area.
He also stressed that among the drawbacks for the authorities to detect illegal smuggling was the long boundary line between Sarawak and its neighbouring country. Daud also said if found guilty of smuggling meat, offenders could be charged and fined not more than RM50,000 or sentenced to two years’ imprisonment.
According to him, it is actually easy for eateries to obtain halal certification if they abide by the requirements regardless of whether they are Muslims or non-Muslims. He also hoped that the dialogue organised by Jais in collaboration with the Veterinary Department, Agriculture Department and the Sarawak Livestock Association would be a key event to create awareness on how to eradicate illegal smuggling of meat into the state.
Attended by more than fifty participants, the dialogue touched on four working papers on Halal Certification, Laws and Regulations for Animal and Fish Quarantine Services, Sarawak Poultry Industry: Present Challenge and Future Prospects and Preparation of Halal Food.
