Bandar Seri Begawan - Various kinds of restaurants have established themselves in the country.
Ranging from local to international cuisines and to chain of fast foods restaurants, consumers these days are being offered more choices.
Bruneians, comprisingly mostly of Muslims, were not keen to test their taste buds on different kinds of dishes.
Some people were not able to do this due to their consciousness about the food, doubting if it‘s halal or not.
The Brunei Times interviewed an official from the ‘Kawalan Makanan Halal‘ Section, under the Syariah Affairs Department, to clarify this matter from the Islamic perspective.
"The two most important things that a Muslim should consider is that the cook is a Muslim and the sources of the ingredients, as well as the meat, come from reliable sources that abide by the halal norms, such as the way the chicken is slaughtered should be according to the Islamic law and the food prepared as demanded by the law," said Zurina Salwa Hj Osman.
Zurina Salwa said that the authorities from the ‘Kawalan Makanan Halal‘ section, under the Syariah Affairs Department, always hold regular series of inspections of the eating establishments throughout the country to determine whether food sold there is halal or not.
However, so far, the act for the halal certificate and the labels (Perintah Sijil Halal dan Label Halal) that they currently operate do not cover the complete range of meat products. Because only fresh meat is considered under this act. "There would be a new act, known as the ‘Perintah Sijil Halal dan Label Halal 2005‘ which would cover a lot more, including all the ingredients that they use, the utensils, and any processed and canned foods that they use, and by that time, actions can be taken," Zurina Salwa further explained.
She went on to reveal that this new act is scheduled to be enforced by October this year.
Prior to the enforcement of this act, the Ministry of Religious Affairs had organised a series of roadshows to the four districts last year, such as the one at the Seri Begawan Religious Teachers University College, in Jalan Tutong.
The main objective of these roadshows was to introduce the act, especially to restaurants owners and to food processing companies.
I Lotus,‘ a restaurant serving Thai dishes, as well as Chinese and local cuisines is accredited as a halal restaurant, as it has Muslim and non-Muslim chefs.
Owned by a Muslim local, the manager of the restaurant, who did not want to be named, said authorities from the Syariah Department had inspected their premises and declared the food, as well as their preparation and ingredients, as halal.
Another restaurant manager The Brunei Times spoke to said that they had put up the "Bukan Untuk Makanan Orang Islam" or "Not for Consumption by Muslims". However, one of the partners who also did not want to be named said that there are Muslims eating at their restaurant.
"All the ingredients used are halal, but the chef is not a Muslim," he said.
Zurina Salwa, explained that, in these cases, in which only one of the two requirements are fulfilled, it is considered to be "syubahah" which means, unclear whether the food is completely halal or haram.
"For those still in doubt about this matter, it is better not to eat at these establishments."
She further advised Muslims to be careful in choosing their food, and to always ensure that the sources are halal.
"If there is a ‘Bukan Untuk Makanan Orang lslam‘ sign, it is better to leave and choose other places that do not have this sign," she cautioned.
Source: www.brudirect.com (27 September 2007)
