Jakim shuts down proposal to certify national governance as halal

The Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has shot down a proposal for halal certification to be expanded into the realm of national governance.

Asserting that combating corruption and upholding integrity are being handled by existing authorities, Jakim director-general Sirajuddin Suhaimee said the suggestion is not under consideration.

“In the context of national governance, the responsibility to combat corruption, strengthen integrity, and uphold justice is a mandate for all departments and ministries, in addition to enforcement agencies such as the MACC, the Royal Malaysia Police, and the judiciary.

“Hence, extending the scope of halal certification to national governance does not arise, as that domain is already addressed through existing authoritative mechanisms,” Sirajuddin (above) said in a statement today.

He added that Jakim remains focused on ensuring the continued excellence of halal certification, while also strengthening its dakwah and educational roles in emphasising syariah prohibitions against corruption, abuse of power, and betrayal of trust.

While he did not reference the source of the proposal to extend Jakim’s halal certification, former law minister Zaid Ibrahim had recently suggested that the department expand its role if it wishes to be the “moral guardian” of the nation.

In a social media post following his experience of being denied a fish dish at a restaurant on the grounds that the establishment is not halal-certified, Zaid challenged Jakim to also declare that corruption, abuse of power, and siphoning funds meant for the people are haram.

“We are told what we can or cannot eat, but no one dares to certify whether our governance, our contracts, and our institutions are halal… Let halal certification apply not only to food, but to governance itself,” he said in the Sept 3 post on X.

Differentiating between halal concept and cert

Meanwhile, Sirajuddin stressed the importance of distinguishing between the Islamic concept of halal and the halal certification process.

The latter, he said, is the country’s official mechanism to safeguard Muslim consumer confidence and regulate the halal industry.

He cautioned that without halal certification, Muslims risk facing confusion, market manipulation, and exploitation by irresponsible parties.

At the level of national administration, however, Sirajuddin said various agencies uphold a mandate in line with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s directive for all departments to tackle corruption, reinforce national integrity, and improve transparent and trustworthy governance.

At the same time, he said Islam, through the Quran and Sunnah, firmly prohibits corruption, abuse of power, and betrayal of trust.

“Accordingly, Jakim consistently conveys this moral and syariah message through Friday sermons, ummah development programmes, awareness campaigns, and various platforms and channels of dakwah, whether via new or traditional media,” he added.

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