Kuala Lumpur: The Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) has said it has no issues with a non-halal version of nasi kandar as long as it is not sold in mamak restaurants or any halal eateries.
Presma president Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan said he had no choice but to accept the term “nasi kandar babi” after the stall owner explained that the dish is sold in a non-halal eatery for non-Muslims, New Straits Times reported today.
“One must understand that nasi kandar was originally introduced by mamak. It is a halal food where a plate of rice is sold by mixing various curries. Customers believe all nasi kandar sold at various outlets are halal Muslim food," he was reported as saying.
The word mamak generally means Indian Muslim and nasi kandar is a dish that has long been associated with the community, especially in Penang where it was popularised.
Jawahar said that while the term “nasi kandar babi” may confuse some customers and create negative implications on the term “nasi kandar” when it was always perceived as halal food, Presma has accepted the seller’s explanation that he is not Muslim and is not selling to Muslims.
“Of course, we cannot ask the name of nasi kandar to be given exclusively to us. But mislabeling it is the crux of the argument,” he was quoted as saying.
Jawahar said all mamak eateries are run by Indian Muslims.
“We ensure that all the food prepared at the mamak follows halal certification requirements.
“The word mamak should not be tainted. The word itself should be observed as a halal eatery," he was quoted as saying.
Jawahar added that Presma respects the rights of others to serve local dishes and enjoy delicacies in their own way.
“Malaysia is a multiracial and multicultural country. Obviously, we have no right to say that a certain dish must be halal or served in a certain way,” he was quoted as saying.
Presma initially expressed its displeasure over the promotion of a non-halal version of nasi kandar that contained pork varuval in a video uploaded on TikTok recently.
Presma earlier labelled the promotion of the non-halal nasi kandar as disrespectful of the nasi kandar industry in Malaysia which was pioneered by Indian Muslim restaurant owners.
Yesterday, Berita Harian quoted G. Suresh, 38, the owner of the stall called Pumbaa's — for the warthog character in Disney's The Lion King — saying he had only started sales three weeks ago.
His stall not only clearly features the word "non-halal", but is also situated in a non-halal Chinese eatery Good Old Days Restaurant and Bar in Damansara Jaya.
