I refer to the recent brilliant brainwave as espoused in the matter of ‘pork-free’ notices at restaurants.

This is a classic case of too many ministers chasing too little work and to stay in the limelight they have to pick a topic to champion, irrespective of how much further confusion they tend to add.

Let’s get one thing clear, state religious bodies have no jurisdictions over restaurants that have not applied for halal certifications. They are overstepping their limits by issuing orders to restaurants that have chosen to not apply for halal certificates.

Any action needs to come from local councils or the Domestic Trade and Consumerism Ministry. This is how civil servants get themselves in a bind, issuing orders where they have no jurisdictions.

If the restaurants choose to ignore the order from the state religious bodies, in my opinion they have not broken any law. Just that many one-man self-appointed NGOs will then start gathering in front of the restaurants to cause mischief and seek attention and funding .

No one I know has ever interpreted pork-free as halal, only the uninitiated and seeking to cause mischief will assume so. Many Chinese no longer eat pork after the many diseases associated with pork over the last decade or so. This is no different to restaurants saying they are ‘nut’ free to avoid allergy and so on.

I suggest these restaurants change their pork-free notices to a positive statement. Just write in the notice ‘We serve chicken, beef, lamb, duck and seafood only’, let’s see how many more will get confused over this. Maybe back to elementary school will be needed then.