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Indonesia's Wahid Says Ajinomoto Is Halal But Malaysians Want Tests
JAKARTA (IslamOnline and News Agencies) - Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid yesterday challenged a decision of the Indonesian Council of Ulamas (MUI) saying that a popular cooking ingredient is haram (Islamically forbidden), stating that it was halal (Islamically allowed) despite allegations the product is tainted by a pork enzyme.
His claims, however, have been challenged by an Islamic organization regulating halal products in Indonesia, sparking a debate and yet another controversy. The Indonesian MUI has said the product is haram and illegal
Wahid, former chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the nation's largest Islamic organization, was quoted by presidential spokesman Wimar Witoelar as saying that MUI's finding were flawed, and aimed at fomenting religious unrest and panic with the ultimate goal of destabilizing his government
"As far as the president is concerned, it is halal… The president considers this case politically motivated and designed to incite unrest among Muslims. Religion is used to make people panic," Wimar told the press after meeting with the President at the state palace.
Around 90% of Indonesia's 210 million are Muslims.
Meanwhile, a group of Malaysians have openly asked for tests to be carried out on Ajinomoto products sold in Malaysia. Ajinomoto is the company accused of selling the pork-tainted products.
Malaysia's Muslim Consumers Association has called on authorities to conduct scientific tests on the food-seasoning product, Ajinomoto, to confirm that it is halal.
Its executive secretary, Nadzim Johan, said claims made by the firm producing Ajinomoto, coupled with the announcement by the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) that the product was safe from pig enzymes, were not enough.
"The Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry must conduct tests and make the findings public to instill confidence in the consumers," he said.
Jakim, in a recent statement, said it had inspected the factory and the Ajinomoto product on January 4th to renew the company's halal certificate, which expired December 31st.
Last week, the Indonesian MUI declared that Ajinomoto, a monosodium glutamate (MSG) taste enhancer used by millions of Indonesians every day, contained enzymes grown on pork fat which Islamic law forbids.
The statement and recent arrests of several executives of PT Ajinomoto Indonesia has sparked fears among Muslims worldwide.
However, Isa Selamat, an expert is philosophy, told IslamOnline that the controversy made him recall the 1980s when Indonesian Muslim students found that Chinese food manufacturers in the country were using pork extracts in almost all products sold on the local market.
He said even soap was tainted with pork and that some of the products included the favored staple food in Asia: noodles. He added that the students took action and demonstrated. The students were successful and the issue ended with the formal discontinuation of pork extract use in food products in Indonesia.
"Is it the end of it all with the Ajinomoto products or should there be a correctional body to test and punish those responsible for such crimes in a Muslim society." Isa asked in summation.
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