Jakarta, dpd.go.id – Still in order to gather views on the Halal Products Guarantee Bill, Committee III again held a Public Hearing (RDPU) on Wednesday (22/02/2012) with guest speaker from the State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta and the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia. On this occasion, RDPU led by Vice-Chairman of Committee III, Moh. Syibli Sahabuddin.
For Muslims, eating and drinking is an activity that has a value of worship so that halal become non negotiable. Therefore, the existence of the Halal Food Guarantee Act is expected to provide clarity and avoid restlessness in the community about the halal products. This was stated by Ahmad Mukri Aji, Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs Faculty of Shari’ah Law of State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta in DPD RI Building, Senayan Jakarta.
“With the Halal Food Guarantee Act, halalan thoyyiban is no longer engineering, there is a scientific spirit, worship, and theology,” Ahmad explained. The Act which is the implementation of Article 28 UUD 1945, according to Ahmad will also strengthen the LP POM MUI who had been dealing with halal certification.
Director General of the Ministry of Islamic Guidance Society of Religious Affairs of the republic of Indonesia, Ahmad Jauhari said that when people are not able to protect themselves from the illegitimate product, then the government must step in to provide protection. “It’s true that our country has the majority of halal food, but many are still mutasyabihat (doubtful), haram lidzatihi (forbidden because its substance) and haram lighairihi (forbidden because of other causes) that the people are not able to detect it,” Jauhari said. “So there must be a legal certainty for those doubtful things,” he continued.
Jauhari also convinced that the future existence of this Act will not cause any trouble because there is already a sophisticated technology. Government together with MUI should be determined to protect the people and should be carried out periodically. “Muslim communities need protection. The middle way out is to do the cooperation, “concluded Jauhari.
At the end of the meeting, Secretary of the Director General of Islamic Guidance Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia stated that the government in this case the Ministry of Religious support for Halal Food Guarantee Act will be passed soon. “This is the needs of community to ensure all the food eaten by the people is Halal,” said Abdul Karim. Responding to the suggestion of some members of the DPD RI that haram labeling is more effective, Abdul has a different view. “If it used halal labeling, this will offend certain parties,” he explained. (Af)
