THE present government is proposing the establishment of a new commission to regulate the existing halal industry.
The idea was mooted by the prime minister in his keynote address at the Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi lecture yesterday.
Be that as it may, a shariah compliance commission would be added to the existing catalogue of commissions.
Former international trade and industry minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz vehemently rejected the idea, saying such a commission would be a waste of public funds.
She also added that currently we already have a plethora of regulatory bodies which seek to exercise almost the same function.
Hence, it would be redundant to form such a commission.
Truth be told, it is very hard to disagree with her.
In my view, she is plainly right in reminding the feeble government not to unnecessarily waste any more of our money. Enough is enough!
Like it or not, Malaysia has been consistently hit by major financial scandals bleeding our economy and our public funds.
It is high time for the government to exercise prudent financial discipline in handling public coffers.
This feeble government ought not to be allowed to indulge in any pursuit which may potentially throw our money down the drain once again.
Any shariah compliance brand mooted by this government may lend some Islamic credentials to our prime minister.
Like it or not, such a brand, which is populist in nature, may possibly woo the support of Malay-Muslim voters.
After all, the general election is looming.
Any new commission means the government would badly need a new law. A new law means new appointments of public servants to run such a commission.
In short, the government has to inject new money in order to fund the new commission.
The Consolidated Fund may be unnecessarily used (read: misused) once again!
Anyone who is critical of any “shariah compliance” brand, especially Muslims, may be easily dubbed as “anti-shariah” or “anti-Islam” for opposing the idea despite the fact the objection is duly fortified by cogent evidence and solid arguments.
After all, “shariah compliance”, among other things, means getting rid of any act which may be construed to be a waste of funds.
It is very hard to imagine in any shariah compliant environment that any political leader may care to spend even a hefty sum of money in order to wear a branded outfit.
Rafidah is absolutely right in saying that, at the moment, the country has already in place the Halal Development Corporation which, inter alia, seeks to promote the halal industry and ensure shariah compliance.
The Corporation was established in 2006.
With the existence of such a corporation, one may safely conclude that any attempt to form a new commission that carries almost the same missions and objectives would be nothing other than a waste of the public purse.
Why doesn’t the government merely empower and enhance the capacity of the existing regulatory body such as the Halal Development Corporation instead of incorporating a new commission?
It is utterly weird to indulge in any non-shariah compliance exercise – a waste of public spending – in forming a shariah compliance commission.
After all, Islam never condoned the notion that the end would justify the means! – The Vibes, May 31, 2022
The writer is the MP for Sepang and once served in the Pakatan Harapan government as deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (legal affairs)
