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Haram refrigerators?: Despite law, government still halal-confused
All products sold in Indonesia were required to be halal-certified by Oct. 17. "Does the law mean a refrigerator needs to be halal-certified?” Sudaryatmo asked.
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President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo visits retail booths after inaugurating the Halal Park Muslim tourist and shopping destination at Bung Karno Sports Stadium in Senayan, Central Jakarta, on April 16. (The Jakarta Post/Seto Wardhana)
A
s home to the world’s largest Muslim population, Indonesia has tried to ensure all its products are certified halal, but a recent brouhaha about restrictions on Christmas greetings on cakes has sparked debates about the government’s ability to manage halal certification and has highlighted places where it may go wrong.
The controversy, involving South Korean bakery chain Tous Les Jours, had people questioning halal certification procedures.
The government and House of Representatives passed the Halal Product Assurance Law in 2014 to ensure all products distributed or sold in the country complied with Islamic values and were safe to be consumed or used by Muslims, who make up more than 88 percent of the total population.
An article in the law stipulated that all products sold in Indonesia were required to be approved by the Halal Certification Agency (BPJPH) five years after the law was passed. That date passed on Oct. 17. Processed food, for example, was supposed to be certified by authorities to ensure it did not contain pork or alcohol.
Under the law, BPJPH, an institution under the Religious Affairs Ministry, is the official authority responsible for handling halal certification. The responsibility previously lay with the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).
However, the transition to halal certification has not gone as well as expected. Observers said regulation and implementation still face problems that could potentially create commotion among the public.
Critics are urging the government to solve the problems as soon as possible to “create certainty for producers and consumers”, so the halal certification will not face opposition from both product consumers and makers in the country.
