AN IMAGE purporting to be that of Made-in-Japan “pork bone broth flavoured” ramen but carrying a halal logo has stirred the hornet’s nest.
The issue was highlighted in a post by Facebooker Meesa Tahir who urged consumers to be extra careful. Even if the item is ‘vegan’ and uses artificial means to create a ‘fake pork’, she contended that it was still wrong for Muslims to consume it.
One netizen agreed, justifying that given the number of halal items that are permissible for Muslims to consume, there is really no need for them to want to try “fake pork”.
Another netizen urged Muslim consumers to be extra vigilant when checking the halal certification.
As pointed out by the original poster, food items are manufactured in countless countries, each with differing standards. The fact that this item did not specify which country the halal-certification originates from should in itself raise suspicions.
Interestingly, the same post was also shared by pro-opposition social media influencer Ratu Naga (otherwise known as Syarul Ema Rena Abu Samah). Given her political affiliation, it was no surprise that her followers decided to use this as a stick to beat the Madani government.
Some netizens were obviously unclear of the concept as they drew comparisons with the on-going investigations into the affairs of Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings Sdn Bhd (GISBH).
They asked why there was no similar investigations against the noodle manufacturer, quite conveniently missing the point that the product was clearly marked “Made in Japan”.
It did not take long for cybertroopers to colour the narrative with their own brand of racist invective.
With one netizen even urging the Malay rulers to take action against the errant Chinese businesses that have imported this filth to deceive Muslim consumers.
One netizen pointed out that the offending item was also sold in Indonesia and that netizens, including Ratu Naga, should not conveniently use it to smear the reputation of the Madani administration.
All said and done, Muslim consumers are advised to always double-check on the veracity of the halal certification.
Even if the item was 100% vegan, many netizens urged to err on the side of caution. Why even tempt fate when it is clearly marked “pork” on the packaging regardless of the halal certification or that its ingredients are vegetable-sourced.
One netizen summed it up best with a common-sense observation.
Though it was pointed out that the manufacture date showed this image to be outdated, it does raise the issue for sundry shop owners to be extra vigilant when placing stock orders.
An oversight could lead to such an item being placed among the halal goods, leading to ugly incidences of boycotts, demonstrations and it being politicised to create further disharmony. – Oct 1, 202
