IN an effort to clear the air following the recent “non-halal lift” brouhaha, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) has revealed that there is no clause that specifically states a “non-Halal” sign for an elevator is necessary to obtain Halal certification.
In a statement posted on their Facebook page last night, JAKIM said there is no clause in the Malaysian Halal Certification Procedure Manual (Domestic) 2020 and the Malaysian Halal Management System 2020 that stipulates that hotels or premises must display the “non-halal lift” sign.
This is following social media posting by human rights activist and lawyer Siti Kasim who uploaded a picture of the elevator in question with the caption, “So a friend of mine took this photo at [Four Points by Sheraton Kuala Lumpur]. Can the hotel explain the rationale behind this?”
The hotel has since responded and said that the sign was a requirement to obtain the Halal certification for the back-of-house operations.
However, JAKIM noted that hotels or premises can establish any appropriate mechanisms in accordance with the procedures set to maintain the integrity of Malaysia’s Halal certification.
In Malaysia, the department is often the responsible organisation that approves Halal certification for the food and beverage (F&B) industry.
“JAKIM would like to refer to a media report regarding a hotel in Kuala Lumpur that put a ‘non-halal lift’ sign on one of its elevators to move non-halal perishable goods,” it said.
“In the report, it is also stated that the instruction regarding the placing of the sign was a regulation stipulated by JAKIM.”
The circulation of the image has caused debate and discussions among many Malaysians online.
It did not take long for the said hotel in KL to clarify that the “non-halal” elevator is designated to carry and transport non-halal goods and perishable items.
However, the management had assured that they have reworded the sign for “clearer understanding” to avoid more confusion in the future. – Oct 7, 2022
Main photo credit: Malaysiapost
