Minister told to butt out

Minister told to butt out

JAKARTA: A number of legislators have urged Religious Affairs
Minister Said Agil Husin Al Munawar to drop his plans to handle
the issuance of halal certificates for both imported and domestic
products, saying it would only encourage manipulation and new
corruption, collusion and nepotism.

"We demand that the religious affairs ministry drop its plan
to issue halal certificates. It many handle the halal or haram
issue from the religious point of view, but not handle halal
certificates," Endin A.J. Soefihara, a legislator of the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), said
Wednesday as reported by Antara.

The Ministry of Religious Affairs is planning to take over
issuing certificates from the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI)
and has issued ministerial decree No. 525/2001 appointing state-
owned company Peruri to print the halal label.

Golkar legislator Slamet Effendi Yusuf aired similar concerns
on Wednesday, saying that minister Said Agil had gone beyond his
duty as the halal issue had been handled by the MUI.

"Eventually, the printing cost of halal certificates will be
charged to customers," said Effendi, adding the MUI had been
doing the job very well without charging consumers. -- Antara