With the recent debate over the provision of halal and non-halal trolleys in local supermarkets, most may be unaware that at least one outlet has already introduced this facility and that too for at least a year now.

As for the outlet’s customers, most of them who were interviewed for this article said they didn’t mind being made to accept the distinction between the trolleys due to their respect for Muslims’ religious sensitivities.

When met at NSK Trade City supermarket located at Jalan Kuchai Lama in Kuala Lumpur, most of them said selecting which trolley they wanted was not much of a hassle for them.

"From a religious point of view, I respect it. After all, it is very important to Muslims, “ said shopper Alice Houng (photo) .

"I can accept this idea for the time being, but if there are further restrictions then we have to see how are the limitations.

"Too many restrictions, I will oppose them. It depends on what they are going to implement because everything has limits.

"For example, segregation of the sexes inside cinemas is an excessive measure [...] that one is certainly unacceptable,” she said.

Houng, 33, is a restaurant manager and a frequent shopper at the NSK hypermarket.

She added that she did not find any problem with the trolley segregation policy and opined that it would be convenient for Muslims, besides reducing the risk of halal and non-halal food and drink cross-contamination.

It was reported recently that the government was considering drafting new laws for all supermarkets to provide shoppers with trolleys for either halal or non-halal purchases.

Although the policy is only expected to be introduced next year, NSK Trade City has been providing the service for over a year now.

'Don't call us pigs'

A management staff, who declined to be identified, said when the policy is introduced next year, he expected it to state that the trolleys be of a different colour.

"I think what the minister means is that we will have to use different colours to differentiate between the two types of trolleys next year," said the staff.

At NSK Tade City currently, only trolleys for non-halal purchases are labelled with a sign while others are unmarked.

Chew, 60, a retiree who shops daily with her daughter at the NSK Trade City hypermarket, said she too had no objection to using a non-halal trolley out of mutual respect.

However, she reminded that Muslims too should respect non-Muslim sensitivities and not call certain races ‘pigs’.

"It’s not that just us (have to) respect them. They too should respect us, such as by not calling us 'pigs'.

"Also during the Muslim fasting period, they should not demand for us not to eat or drink in public.

"We respect one another as the way it should be; therefore requiring us to distinguish between trolleys, this does not matter," said Chew.

Jone Mohan, 62, also a retiree, said he always thinks ahead and knows which trolley to choose before he starts his shopping at NSK Trade City.

"It is no problem for me. I will think and decide what I want to purchase whether halal or non-halal, before my shopping," said Jone (photo).

He notes that sometimes he is barred from entering the non-halal section of the hypermarket if he had decided to buy some non-halal food at the last minute.

"I think the management should also place the non-halal trolleys at the non-halal item sections so that any customer who pushes the wrong trolley can change it easily," he said.

Question on right trolley

Although the majority of respondents accepted the need for different types of trolleys, Ng, 37, criticised this measure as redundant.

Ng, a biscuit trader, said he patronised NSK hypermarket to buy the necessary items for his business almost daily.

"I find it redundant ... why differentiate? This is very troublesome, especially after the minister’s recent visit; everything has become more stringent.

"Now only the non-halal trolleys can enter the non-halal section," he lamented.

Ng said that such measures would further widen the chasm between the races, adding that he was worried with the country’s rapid Islamisation.

On the other hand, Muslims respondents had nothing but praise for NSK Trade City’s facility which they said helped Muslims to avoid contact with non-halal food and drink items.

Jomita Mohd, 28, a housewife who visits the hypermarket every three days or so, gave it the thumbs-up.

"I like this very much; this is good for customers.

"We are not trying to distinguish between Muslims and non-Muslims but this is for the benefit of customers," she said.

She said the move will prevent the halal food she purchased from coming into contact with non-halal items.

Nurul Nazirah (photo) , 25, an administrative staff, also expressed her support for the hypermarket’s efforts to segregate their trolleys for religious purposes.

However, she said she was worried if the customers were really complying with the measures, adding that she was concerned that some customers did not use the right trolley.

"This is great but we don't know if customers are really using the correct trolleys," said Nurul.