T

he ever-controversial House of Representatives speaker, Marzuki Alie, called on the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) to declare imported fruit haram.

“I wish the MUI could declare imported fruit haram. It is haram to eat imported fruit,” he said as quoted by tribunnews.com on Friday.

He argued that the influx of imported fruit in the country was hurting local farmers. Previously, Marzuki said that the House’s leadership had ordered the secretariat general of the legislative body to serve only local fruit.

The Democratic Party politician, who has the predilection to make controversial remarks, said he hoped that the local fruit industry could thrive in its own country.