Govt must act to curb halal meat syndicates in Australia: NGOs

KUALA LUMPUR – The government has been urged to take urgent action to curb the activities of meat suppliers in Australia who allegedly prepare flesh products that have not been prepared in accordance with halal slaughter procedures.

Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) president Datuk Nadzim Johan said issues relating to halal food must be taken care of immediately, and the authorities should not delay their investigations.

“This problem has been around for a long time, and we have brought it up with the authorities. However, Jakim (Malaysian Islamic Affairs Department) has not proposed a solution. 

“This issue affects Muslims in general as it will cause doubts among them when purchasing any products, especially food,” he said at a press conference here today.

Nadzim also took Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad to task for the delay in tackling the issue. 

Meanwhile, Malaysian Social Justice Party (Pekemas) president Faizan Mohamed said that the authorities have ignored the issue of halal slaughtering even though it has been raised repeatedly.

“The religious affairs minister is not firm and makes excuses about solving this issue even though this matter is under his authority.

“Malaysians have their right as taxpayers to demand that the minister perform his job well, and in this case, the minister and related agencies should open their eyes and take firm action,” he said.

Faizan added that PPIM and other NGOs have tried to fight against halal slaughter syndicates, but their efforts have been fruitless as the authorities have not cooperated.

Datuk Haji Mohd Fakrunizam, chairman of the Anti-Discrimination and Misconduct Organisation, claimed that the problem is still prevalent due to the lack of administrative transparency by related parties on food status.

He added that the NGOs are preparing a memorandum to the prime minister on the matter.

Also present were Sahabat 99 representative Vincenzo Focarelli, Persatuan Perkip’s Masridzi Sat, and Persatuan Pertubuhan Produk Ummah Malaysia’s Razali Latin.

In May, PPIM, Pekemas, and Sahabat 99 alleged there were violations of standard operating procedures regarding halal slaughtering by a company in Australia that had received approval from Jakim, based on video evidence and photos attested to by workers at the company. – The Vibes, August 25, 2022