Pork nasi kandar: Mufti calls for non-halal notice to inform Muslims

SHAH ALAM - Penang mufti Wan Salim Mohd Noor has called for premises selling non-halal food, including pork to provide a notice to inform Muslims.

According to a Malaysiakini report, Salim said that there is nothing wrong with selling nasi kandar served with pork, as long as customers, especially Muslims, are made aware of its ingredients.

While Islamic law forbids the consumption of pork, Salim made it clear that non-Muslims are not prohibited from selling non-halal products to non-Muslims.

However, he stressed that authorities must play a role in ensuring that premises offering non-halal meals advertise or put up a notice on the food's status to prevent Muslims from consuming it.

Salim was responding to Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) Jawahar Ali Taib Khan's statement, where he claimed that a video clip of 'nasi kandar' served with pork on social media could spark confusion and a negative image of the local cuisine.

Meanwhile, Selangor executive councillor Teng Chang Khim dismissed the claim as illogical to imply that Muslims would be so easily misled and confused.

If this were ever the case, he suggested that foods such as dim sum, yong tau fu, and all sorts of other Chinese foods could not be sold and would confuse Muslims as well.

Salim explained that the Quran prohibits Muslims from consuming pork as it is considered unclean. Scientifically, it has been found that it contains a type of parasite called Trichinella, which can pose health hazards to humans.

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

However, the infection may be prevented through hygienic food handling practices, particularly by ensuring that the stock is sufficiently cooked to kill the parasite.