A SMALL non-Muslim food and beverage (FnB) enterprise owner has shared his views on the hassle that he endures in meeting JAKIM’s (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) stringent halal requirements.
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), Chan Wern Shen rationalised that there was no way businesses would self-sabotage their revenue stream if the majority of their clientele are Muslims by not adhering to halal guidelines.
Sebagai seorang pengusaha F&B, ada sedikit luahan yang saya ingin kongsikan mengenai issue Halal cert.
* Saya berbangsa Malaysian Chinese, dan non-Muslim.
1. Kita peka kepada customer base, dan kita tidak mungin akan membuat sesuatu untuk membunuh business kita sendiri…
— Chan Wern Shen (@wernshen) January 3, 2024
After all, the cost and procedure for obtaining halal certification from JAKIM was beyond the means of small businesses. Chan further cited the need for a minimum number of staff as a major stumbling block for small enterprises.
Chan went on to relate how he was at pains to do everything necessary to ensure that the food prepared met halal requirements which include sourcing only from halal-certified suppliers and manufacturers.
The poster also said he took great pride in ensuring that the cleanliness of the premises is maintained to a very high standard. He further assured readers that his business would not countenance using non-halal ingredients in the preparation of the food.
He further said he was always honest with Muslim customers regarding the halal status by clearly informing them that he did not possess the necessary JAKIM certification. He also said he fully understood if Muslim customers chose to dine elsewhere.
The post has received close to 900,000 views at the time of writing with plenty of positive comments:
The poster also revealed that his business was serving Bangladeshi cuisine and hired only Muslim staff with strict prohibitions on alcohol and other non-halal items in the premises. He further revealed that he is working hard towards getting official certification from JAKIM.
Thank you for the feedback boss 🙏 We sincerely appreciate all the feedback and discussion that was shared along the way to help us improve.
My shop name is Darun and we are located in Coox, Glo Damansara. We serve Bangladeshi menu ☺️https://t.co/f6EVNv7MD9
— Chan Wern Shen (@wernshen) January 4, 2024
Given the challenges listed above, perhaps JAKIM can devise a scheme to help small enterprises, Muslim-owned or otherwise. It can be in the form of monthly instalments or perhaps a smaller staff headcount if the premises do not exceed a certain square footage.
Such a move would encourage more businesses to apply and comply with halal regulations.
This would create a win-win situation. – Jan 6, 2024
